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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Emerge

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were not telling the truth.

Critics have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also cite his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Arguing that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

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

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards released a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”