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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either victims of or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Observers have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also reference his reluctance to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the comments.

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

He went on to say: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an interview, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”