Top Law Officer Calls On Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Reported Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.
The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.
Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.
“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.
Further Testimonies Surface
A series of inquiries last month documented the testimony of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.
One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.
Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.
“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”
Since then, others have come forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.
The alleged events they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.
Changing Stories
The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were misremembering.
Observers have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.
They also reference his inability to sanction a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.
“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.
He added: “Arguing that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."
Demand for Accountability
“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.
“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in society.”
In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.
“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.
Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments
In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.
Farage later altered his position in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Possibly.”
He commented that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, so long ago.”