🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

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

“During his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The incidents they described relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were misremembering.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his inability to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He continued: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he must confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

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

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his position in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view 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 really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”