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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the testimony of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have emerged; around two dozen people have now stated they were either victims of or witnesses to hurtful actions by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were not telling the truth.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also cite his failure to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Claiming that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he must address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He commented that he had “never directly sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”