Top Law Officer Demands Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Alleged Racism and Antisemitism.

The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

“During his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

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

“He approached a pupil with two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they described cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

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

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

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

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he has to address the anxieties of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”