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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A published report last month detailed the testimony of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘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 student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Following the initial report, additional individuals have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The incidents they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also reference his failure to reprimand a colleague in his party, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he must acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance 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 a certain manner? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out 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.”