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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

New Allegations Surface

A series of inquiries last month documented the accounts of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The alleged events they described span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 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 not telling the truth.

Critics have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also point to his failure to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

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

He went on to say: “Suggesting that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”