🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He added that the leader's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A published report last month documented the testimony of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they described cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Observers have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also cite his failure to sanction a colleague in his party, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Arguing that a group of people have all misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

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

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Yes.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards released a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”