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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his actions as a youth. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

New Allegations Surface

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

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

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either targets of or observed hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "directly" 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 outright in his responses.

They also reference his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he urgently needs confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Yes.”

He commented that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, so long ago.”