🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his actions as a youth. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" denials had been difficult to believe.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

A recent investigation last month documented the accounts of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That included me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or witnesses to hurtful conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined cover 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 asserted the individuals were not telling the truth.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his inability to sanction a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He went on to say: “Claiming that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must confront the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, so long ago.”