🔗 Share this article

The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were not telling the truth.

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

They also reference his failure to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he has to address the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

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