The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.
Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "shifting" statements had been less than credible.
“In his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.
Fresh Claims Emerge
A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of several ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.
One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.
Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, 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 former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”
After the story broke, others have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.
The incidents they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.
Evolving Explanations
The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were being untruthful.
Observers have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.
They also point to his inability to sanction a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.
“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.
He continued: “Claiming that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."
Demand for Accountability
“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he has to confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.
“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in public life.”
In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.
“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.
Legal Letters and Later Statements
In legal letters prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.
Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”
He commented that he had “never directly really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards released a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”
