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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "shifting" statements had been less than credible.

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

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of several former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach 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 stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were misremembering.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also point to his inability to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Suggesting that 20 people have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he has to confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being written in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an interview, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”