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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

“During his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A recent investigation last month documented the testimony of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

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

Since then, additional individuals have stepped forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either victims of or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were misremembering.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also reference his failure to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the comments.

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

He continued: “Arguing that 20 people have somehow forgotten 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 confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people 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 should not let it to ever become accepted in public life.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” 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 recognise as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change 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 modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, so long ago.”