Story perspectives

Tories Pick Ex-Neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine for Council Seat

8/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Conservatives selected former neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine for the Crewkerne South council seat in May 2026.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Bonehill-Paine is rehabilitated and now works on counter-extremism.
Former Labour MP Luciana Berger and Jewish groups refused to meet Bonehill-Paine and urged his deselection over his racism and misogyny.
Baroness Berger recalled his 2015 jail term and 2016 harassment conviction caused two days of hell during a six-month pregnancy.

History

Historical Context

After Nick Griffin ousted John Tyndall in 1999 and rebranded the British National Party, the BNP’s vote rose to 800,000 in the 2004 European election and secured two MEPs with 943,598 votes in 2009, marking the far-right breakthrough in UK representation. The Conservative Party’s 2026 selection of former neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine echoes that episode, prompting tighter candidate vetting and renewed scrutiny of hate-speech laws.

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Story summary

The Conservatives selected former neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine for the Crewkerne South council seat in May 2026.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Bonehill-Paine is rehabilitated and now works on counter-extremism.
Former Labour MP Luciana Berger and Jewish groups refused to meet Bonehill-Paine and urged his deselection over his racism and misogyny.
Baroness Berger recalled his 2015 jail term and 2016 harassment conviction caused two days of hell during a six-month pregnancy.

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