🔗 Share this article

The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He added that the politician's "evolving" denials had been less than credible.

“During his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

New Allegations Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or saw hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they described relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

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

Critics have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also cite his inability to sanction a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the remarks.

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

He added: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”