Top Law Officer Demands Reform UK Leader to Apologise Over Reported Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.

The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He added that the leader's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the statements of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either victims of or saw hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were misremembering.

Critics have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also cite his reluctance to reprimand a colleague in his party, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.

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

He continued: “Arguing that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

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

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

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

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

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”