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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "evolving" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, others have emerged; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The alleged events they described relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

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

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

They also cite his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the comments.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things as a youth that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, decades in the past.”