🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

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

“Throughout his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the statements of several former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That included me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The incidents they outlined span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were not telling the truth.

Commentators have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also cite his reluctance 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 apologised for the comments.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an discussion, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, so long ago.”