🔗 Share this article

The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He added that the politician's "shifting" denials had been less than credible.

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

New Allegations Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month documented the statements of several former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, others have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were being untruthful.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also cite his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

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

He went on to say: “Claiming that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”