🔗 Share this article

The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Surface

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of several former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw hurtful actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

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

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

They also reference 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 television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

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

He went on to say: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he must address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

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