Attorney General Urges Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Reported Racism and Antisemitism.
The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.
Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.
“Throughout his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.
Fresh Claims Emerge
A published report last month documented the statements of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.
One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.
Another pupil from an ethnic minority 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 tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”
After the story broke, more people have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.
The behaviour they described relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.
Changing Stories
The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were misremembering.
Critics have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.
They also point to his reluctance to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.
“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.
He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."
Question of Character
“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those 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 normalised in society.”
In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.
“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.
Legal Letters and Later Statements
In legal letters before the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.
Farage later appeared to change his stance in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things as a youth that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”
He commented that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”