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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

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

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

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month outlined the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The incidents they described span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were being untruthful.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his reluctance to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs address the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people 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 should not let it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Yes.”

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