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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "evolving" statements had been unconvincing.

“In his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That included me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or witnesses to highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were misremembering.

Observers have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his failure 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 said sorry for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

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

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he has to address the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in society.”

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

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”