🔗 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 assert he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“During his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

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

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, others have stepped forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either victims of or saw highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

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

Critics have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also point to his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the statements.

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

He added: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his stance in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards released a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, so long ago.”