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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

“In his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

A recent investigation last month documented the accounts of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have emerged; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or saw deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also point to his reluctance to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

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

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

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

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his position in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, decades in the past.”