🔗 Share this article

The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader 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, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" denials had been unconvincing.

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

New Allegations Surface

A recent investigation last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils 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’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have come forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were misremembering.

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 expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the comments.

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

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

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later released a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”