🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

“During his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

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

Following the initial report, more people have stepped forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were misremembering.

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

They also point to his reluctance to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the comments.

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

He added: “Suggesting that a group of people have all misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs confront the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”