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Joshua Bonehill‑Paine appointed Tory adviser after withdrawing as council candidate
The Conservative Party selected former neo‑Nazi activist Joshua Bonehill‑Paine as its candidate for the new Crewkerne South ward on Somerset Council for the 2027 elections. Bonehill‑Paine has multiple convictions, including a 2015 jail term for posting antisemitic material ahead of a planned rally and a 2016 conviction for racially aggravated harassment of former Labour MP Luciana Berger. The selection provoked a strong backlash from Jewish organisations such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which called the move “beggars belief”. Party leader Kemi Badenoch defended the choice, saying Bonehill‑Paine had been rehabilitated and the party believes in “second chances”.
Following the criticism, Bonehill‑Paine withdrew his candidacy and was offered an unpaid advisory role on the Conservatives’ Culture and Integration Commission, tasked with advising on counter‑extremism. In a post he said, “I know that my previous actions continue to cause pain in the Jewish community.” Luciana Berger, now a Labour peer, described the appointment as “an insult”. The controversy has raised questions about the party’s vetting processes and the limits of political rehabilitation.
Entities
Board of Deputies of British Jews · Conservative Party · Conservative Party (UK) · Crewkerne South · Joshua Bonehill-Paine · Joshua Bonehill‑Paine · Kemi Badenoch · Luciana Berger · Somerset Council (Crewkerne South) · Somerset Council – Crewkerne South
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Joshua Bonehill‑Paine was selected as the Conservative candidate for the Crewkerne South ward on Somerset Council for the 2027 elections. www.bbc.co.uk · dorseteye.com · www.independent.co.uk
- [● 3 SOURCES] Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch defended the selection, saying Bonehill‑Paine had been rehabilitated and the party believes in second chances. www.bbc.co.uk · dorseteye.com · thesheffieldpress.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Jewish organisations, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, criticised the selection, calling it “beggars belief”. www.bbc.co.uk · www.liverpoolecho.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk
- [● 3 SOURCES] Luciana Berger described the advisory appointment as an “insult”. www.liverpoolecho.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk · www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bonehill‑Paine holds Home Office certification for counter‑extremism training. www.bbc.co.uk · dorseteye.com · www.independent.co.uk
- [● 3 SOURCES] After the backlash, Bonehill‑Paine withdrew his candidacy for the Somerset council seat. www.standard.co.uk · freerepublic.com · www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bonehill‑Paine was offered an unpaid advisory role on the Conservative Party’s Culture and Integration Commission to advise on extremism. thesheffieldpress.com · www.standard.co.uk
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bonehill‑Paine has convictions for posting antisemitic material in 2015 and for racially aggravated harassment of former Labour MP Luciana Berger in 2016. www.bbc.co.uk · dorseteye.com · www.independent.co.uk