Ex neo-Nazi activist selected as Tory candidate
The Conservative Party in the UK has selected Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist with a criminal record, as a council candidate. Party leader Kemi Badenoch defended the decision, citing his efforts to reform and work with Jewish communities, though the move has faced significant backlash.
Why it matters
The selection highlights ongoing debates regarding political rehabilitation, the limits of 'second chances' for individuals with extremist pasts, and the vetting standards of major political parties.
Image source, Contributed Image caption, Joshua Bonehill-Paine now speaks out against extremism
A man who was jailed over his Neo-Nazi activism will stand as a Tory candidate in the council elections after being offered a "second chance" by the party.
Joshua Bonehill-Paine spent three years in prison for posting antisemitic material ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally and a year later he was also convicted of racially harassing then-Labour MP Luciana Berger.
Bonehill-Payne has been selected to stand in the new Somerset Council seat of Crewkerne South in 2027. He said he wanted to "give back" to a community which had supported him.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said he had "shown contrition for his crimes" but the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the move "beggars belief".
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