British Conservatives face backlash after selecting former neo-Nazi activist as local election candidate
The British Conservatives have selected Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist with convictions for antisemitic and racist harassment, as a candid...
The British Conservatives have selected Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist with convictions for antisemitic and racist harassment, as a candidate in Somerset council elections. The move has triggered sharp criticism, including from former Labour MP Luciana Berger, whom he was convicted of targeting.
Selection sparks anger
Bonehill-Paine has been chosen to contest the new Crewkerne South seat on Somerset Council in 2027, after what Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described as a "second chance." He said he wanted to "give back" to a community that had supported him.
Berger said on X that the case still haunted her and that she felt sick seeing commentators argue he belonged in public office. She said he should have no role in public life because of his racism and his views on women, adding: "Kemi Badenoch you've got this very, very wrong."
Past convictions
Bonehill-Paine spent three years in prison after posting antisemitic material ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally. A year later, he was convicted of racially harassing Berger, then a Labour MP.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the selection "beggars belief." The case has also revived scrutiny of how political parties deal with candidates who have extremist pasts but later claim to have changed.
According to the Guardian, Bonehill-Paine told the newspaper the party was fully aware of his background. He said the Yeovil branch supported him and that its chairman had backed him since he joined the Conservatives.
Political row in the UK
Badenoch defended the decision by saying the party believes in second chances and that Bonehill-Paine had shown contrition for his crimes. The controversy comes as British parties face broader questions over candidate vetting, public trust and the line between rehabilitation and accountability.
Bonehill-Paine, who once described himself as a "nationalist, fascist, theorist and supporter of white rights," has more recently been associated with online political satire, including the Crewkerne Gazette series of AI clips. His selection now puts the Conservatives under fresh pressure in the run-up to the Somerset contest.
