Top Law Officer Calls On Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Claimed Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.

The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A published report last month outlined the accounts of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have emerged; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were not telling the truth.

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

They also point to his failure to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the comments.

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

He went on to say: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

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

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an interview, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He added that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards released a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”

Mr. Jared Johnson
Mr. Jared Johnson

A tech enthusiast and lifestyle blogger passionate about sharing actionable insights and inspiring personal development journeys.