🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage 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, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

“In his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the person 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 said you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were misremembering.

Observers have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also reference his inability to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate 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 stated.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a new statement: “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.”