Top Law Officer Urges Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Reported Racism and Antisemitism.

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 time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“In his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

New Allegations Emerge

A published report last month detailed the statements of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making 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 older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” 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 any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have emerged; around two dozen people have now stated they were either targets of or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were misremembering.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his failure to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Arguing that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised 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 is very telling how 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 avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, remarking: “Did I say things decades ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”