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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“In his replies 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 accounts of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were misremembering.

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 reference his failure to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being written in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently released a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”