🔗 Share this article

The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month documented the statements of several former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ 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 similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That included me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were being untruthful.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also cite his reluctance to sanction a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

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

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being written in a specific manner to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”