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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his past behaviour. He noted that the politician's "shifting" denials had been less than credible.

“Throughout his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A published report last month detailed the statements of several former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were misremembering.

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his failure to sanction a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must address the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an discussion, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, decades in the past.”