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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his actions as a youth. He added that the leader's "evolving" statements had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

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

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or saw hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were misremembering.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his inability to reprimand a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the comments.

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

He continued: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have all misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed 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 stance in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, so long ago.”