🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

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

New Allegations Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle 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 Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either victims of or witnesses to hurtful actions by Farage.

The alleged events they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Observers have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also reference his failure to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

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

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real 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 drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”