Top Law Officer Demands Nigel Farage to Apologise Over Reported Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.
The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.
Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He noted that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.
“In his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.
New Allegations Surface
A series of inquiries last month outlined the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.
One, a former pupil, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.
Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.
“He came over to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”
Since then, others have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or witnesses to deeply offensive actions by Farage.
The alleged events they described cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.
Changing Stories
The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were misremembering.
Commentators have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.
They also point to his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the statements.
“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.
He went on to say: “Suggesting 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 serious contender for high office, he must address the anxieties of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.
“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in politics.”
In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.
“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.
Legal Letters and Later Statements
In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.
Farage later appeared to change his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Yes.”
He added that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”