🔗 Share this article

The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "constantly changing" denials had been difficult to believe.

“During his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have come forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

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

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also point to his failure to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he urgently needs confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, decades in the past.”