The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.
Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been less than credible.
“During his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.
A published report last month documented the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from a private college.
One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.
Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.
“He came over to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”
Following the initial report, others have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or observed hurtful actions by Farage.
The incidents they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.
The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were misremembering.
Critics have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.
They also cite his reluctance to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.
“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.
He continued: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."
“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.
“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in society.”
In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.
“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.
In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.
Farage later altered his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”
He commented that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”
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