Top Law Officer Demands Reform UK Leader to Say Sorry Over Alleged Racism and Antisemitism.

The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "evolving" statements had been less than credible.

“During his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the statements of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, others have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The incidents they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his failure 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 statements.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

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

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he must address the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

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

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later issued a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”