🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“In his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A recent investigation last month documented the testimony of several ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That involved me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either targets of or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were being untruthful.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

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

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

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation 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 50 years ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”