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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "evolving" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

New Allegations Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He approached a pupil with two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also reference his failure to sanction a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the remarks.

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

He continued: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he urgently needs address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in society.”

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

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, decades in the past.”