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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "evolving" explanations had been difficult to believe.

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

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A published report last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have stepped forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

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

Critics have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also point to his inability to sanction a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

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

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”