🔗 Share this article

The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

“During his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A recent investigation last month documented the accounts of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have come forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has denied 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 denials.

They also point to his failure to discipline a colleague in his party, 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 evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”