The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their school days.
Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been unconvincing.
“In his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.
New Allegations Emerge
A published report last month detailed the testimony of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.
One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.
Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.
“He approached a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”
Since then, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now stated they were either targets of or saw hurtful conduct by Farage.
The incidents they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.
Denials and Shifting Positions
The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were being untruthful.
Observers have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.
They also cite his reluctance to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.
“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.
He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."
Call for Leadership
“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he has to acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.
“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in politics.”
In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.
“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.
Legal Letters and Later Statements
In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.
Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Possibly.”
He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”
