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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

“During his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Surface

A published report last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were being untruthful.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his inability to discipline a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals 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 credible figure for high office, he must address the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards released a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”