🔗 Share this article

The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

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

“In his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, said that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have emerged; about 20 people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his failure to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained 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 Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he has to address the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his position in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”