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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He added that the politician's "shifting" denials had been less than credible.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making 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 walked up to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either victims of or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were misremembering.

Observers have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also point to his failure to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Arguing that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he urgently needs address the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an interview, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, so long ago.”