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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He added that the leader's "evolving" statements had been unconvincing.

“In his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A published report last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

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

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The incidents they outlined span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were misremembering.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his failure to sanction a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

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

He went on to say: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he must address the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, so long ago.”