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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.

“During his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A recent investigation last month detailed the accounts of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Following the initial report, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or saw hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also point to his reluctance to discipline a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he urgently needs confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a specific manner to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”