The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.
Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his past behaviour. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" denials had been less than credible.
“In his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.
A series of inquiries last month documented the accounts of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.
One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.
Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.
“He approached a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”
Following the initial report, others have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.
The behaviour they described span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.
The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were being untruthful.
Critics have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.
They also reference his reluctance to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, 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 constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.
He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."
“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he has to address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.
“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in public life.”
In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a real leader.
“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being written in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.
In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.
Farage later altered his position in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”
He said that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”
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