Top Law Officer Urges Nigel Farage to Apologise Over Reported Racism and Antisemitism.

The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“In his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

New Allegations Surface

A published report last month detailed the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That included me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have come forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either targets of or saw highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The alleged events they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

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

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

They also point to his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

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

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being written in a certain style to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”