🔗 Share this article

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

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“During his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of several former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

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

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were being untruthful.

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

They also cite his reluctance to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

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

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs confront the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those 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 should not let it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”