🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A series of inquiries last month documented the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to 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 roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have emerged; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or observed hurtful actions by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were being untruthful.

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

They also cite his reluctance to sanction a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have somehow forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his stance in an interview, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, decades in the past.”