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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.

“During his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Surface

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

One, a former pupil, described that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

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

Observers have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also reference his reluctance to sanction a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he has to acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a other comments, 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 guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an interview, stating: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”