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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A recent investigation last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they described span 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 claimed the former classmates were being untruthful.

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

They also point to his reluctance to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he has to acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “never directly really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”