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

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

“During his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A published report last month detailed the accounts of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

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

After the story broke, others have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or observed hurtful actions by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also cite his inability to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he must acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Yes.”

He added that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”