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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

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

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed hurtful actions by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were being untruthful.

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his inability to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

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

He continued: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he urgently needs address the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”