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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A published report last month documented the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have emerged; around two dozen people have now stated they were either targets of or saw highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they described relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were misremembering.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he has to acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an interview, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently released a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, decades in the past.”