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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "shifting" statements had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A recent investigation last month outlined the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either victims of or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have all 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 the top job, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor 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 precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed 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 interview, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently released a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”