Top Law Officer Demands Reform UK Leader to Say Sorry Over Reported Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.

The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

“In his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month documented the testimony of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were misremembering.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also cite his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

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

He added that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently released a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”

Donald Grant
Donald Grant

Maya is a digital strategist with over a decade of experience in tech innovation and business development across Europe.