Full Breakdown
Conservative Party’s Selection of Convicted Neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine Sparks National Debate
8/5/2026, 8:27:02 PM
Core Event
The Conservative Party has chosen Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi who was jailed for racially aggravated harassment of Labour peer Luciana Berger, to stand as a council candidate for the Crewkerne South ward in Somerset at the local elections scheduled for next May. The decision has provoked sharp criticism from Jewish organisations, former colleagues of Berger, and opposition politicians, while party leader Kemi Badenoch defends the selection on the basis of rehabilitation and “second chances”.
Background & Context
Bonehill-Paine’s criminal record includes multiple convictions: a 2014 malicious-communication charge for an anti-Islam hoax, a 2014 three-year sentence for inciting racial hatred ahead of a neo-Nazi rally, and a 2016 conviction for racially aggravated harassment of Baroness Luciana Berger after publishing five hateful blog posts about her. The 2016 sentence also imposed a five-year criminal-behaviour order monitoring his online activity. Since his release, Bonehill-Paine has claimed to work in counter-extremism, holding Home Office certification to train police officers on antisemitism, and describing himself as an executive member of the Conservatives’ Yeovil branch.
Official Statements & Responses
- Kemi Badenoch, Conservative Party chair, told the *Today* programme that the candidacy is a local role focused on community issues such as parking and waste collection, not a national platform.
- A Conservative Party spokesperson acknowledged the past convictions as “indefensible” but emphasized the party’s belief in rehabilitation, stating that all members must adhere to the party’s code of conduct and that the electorate will ultimately decide the outcome.
- A Reform UK spokesperson criticised the move, calling the hypocrisy “breathtaking” and noting that Bonehill-Paine had previously been rejected as a Reform candidate.
Criticism & Opposition
Karen Newman, vice-president of the Board of Deputies, called the selection “beggars belief” and demanded a review of the party’s vetting processes.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It told me everything I needed to know about how this individual saw the world, and about the utter contempt he held for the people he targeted," Baroness Berger wrote.” — Baroness Berger, a former shadow cabinet minister
- “For the avoidance of doubt, I don’t believe this man should have *any* role in public life – because of both his racism and his view of women.” — House, of Lords
- “He was convicted for racial harassment for 5 specific blogs. But that wasn’t all – he’d published *reams* of deeply racist, misogynistic and pornographic material about me,” — Berger. She
- “There’s a reason why Mr Bonehill-Paine wasn’t selected as a Reform UK candidate. Meanwhile, while Kemi Badenoch claims to have a new generation of Tory candidates and says she supports the fight against antisemitism, she is selecting a convicted antisemite to stand for the Conservatives. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.” — Reform UK spokesperson
What’s Next
Joshua Bonehill-Paine will appear on the ballot for the Crewkerne South ward in the Somerset council elections slated for next May. The Conservative Party has indicated that the decision will be left to local voters, while Jewish organisations have scheduled a meeting with party officials to discuss the selection process and to press for the candidate’s removal.
