Joshua Bonehill-Paine Withdraws From 2027 Tory Council Race as Neo-Nazi Past Sparks Backlash
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 5
Joshua Bonehill-Paine Withdraws From 2027 Tory Council Race as Neo-Nazi Past Sparks Backlash
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 5
Summary
Joshua Bonehill-Paine pulled out of a Conservative candidacy for next year's Somerset council election after criticism over his former neo-Nazi activity and criminal convictions.
Kemi Badenoch had defended his selection on the grounds of rehabilitation and second chances, but Bonehill-Paine said opponents would spend the campaign focusing on his past.
Bonehill-Paine, who was jailed for posting antisemitic material before a planned neo-Nazi rally and later convicted of racially harassing Luciana Berger, called his earlier views "indefensible."
Badenoch said he will instead work with her and the party on tackling radicalisation, including in an advisory role linked to the Conservatives' Culture and Integration Commission.