Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi jailed for racially harassing a Jewish MP, has withdrawn as a Conservative council candidate in Somerset. He said continuing his campaign would allow other parties to focus on his past rather than his current work.
Background and conviction
In 2016, Bonehill-Paine was convicted of racially harassing Luciana Berger, then a Labour MP and now a Labour peer. He was already serving a separate jail sentence for sharing antisemitic posts. He spent three years in prison from 2015 for posting racist material ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally, but now says he has been rehabilitated.
Reaction from Tory leader
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch defended his selection, saying he is now "part of the fight against antisemitism". After his withdrawal, she said: "While I am sad that Joshua feels he won't be given the space to explain his position and represent his community, I am glad he is going to work with me and the party on tackling radicalisation as part of our culture and integration commission." She added: "If we are going to stop extremism and antisemitism we are going to need help from those people who were part of the problem, but have now changed and are being part of the solution."
Statement from Bonehill-Paine
Bonehill-Paine said his experience is better used supporting Badenoch's mission to combat antisemitism. He has withdrawn from next year's council election and will instead advise the Conservative Party's Culture and Integration Commission on how young men become radicalised.
Jewish groups' response
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council had planned to meet the Tory Party to discuss his selection but declined to meet Bonehill-Paine. They said in a joint statement: "The severity of Joshua Bonehill-Paine's crimes targeting Luciana Berger and others mean that he still faces ongoing legal restrictions. Whilst we do believe in the possibility of rehabilitation, this should not in this case entail selection as a candidate for a major political party, and the impact of this decision on the victims ought to be a central consideration."
Green Party leader's view
Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, said no one should be pushed out of public life "permanently" and there should be "spaces for people to rehabilitate". He added that a councillor or MP would have to "re-earn trust" and that there must be "a clear direction that the lessons are going to be learned".
Berger's response
Baroness Berger said the harassment had "affected my life in lots of different ways" and that "we need to have a bar when it comes to standing for public office". She added: "I strongly believe that this individual today falls very, very short of that."
Bonehill-Paine's reflection
Bonehill-Paine has described his past views as "indefensible". In an article for Conservative Home, he wrote: "The recent announcement of my selection as the Conservative candidate for Crewkerne South on Somerset Council has been a stark reminder that those actions still cause hurt today. That is entirely understandable, and I do not seek to diminish it."
