Top Law Officer Calls On Reform UK Leader to Say Sorry Over Reported Racism and Antisemitism.

The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly 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.

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

New Allegations Emerge

A recent investigation last month documented the accounts of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have come forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Critics have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also cite his reluctance to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Claiming that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he urgently needs acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an interview, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out 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.”