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

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been less than credible.

“Throughout his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

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

One, a former pupil, said that a teenage Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That included me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also cite his failure to sanction a colleague in his party, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he has to confront the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”