Top Law Officer Calls On Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Reported Racism and Antisemitism.

The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the person 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 answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have emerged; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were misremembering.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also reference his reluctance to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the comments.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice 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 separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an interview, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, decades in the past.”

Bradley Martin
Bradley Martin

A tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in reviewing consumer electronics and exploring emerging technologies.