🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

New Allegations Surface

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of several ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, said that a teenage Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have stepped forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his reluctance to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he urgently needs address the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It says a lot 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 say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an interview, stating: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”