Kemi Badenoch Defends Selection of Former Neo-Nazi for Somerset Council

The Conservative Party has selected Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist and founder of the National British Resistance, as its candidate for the Crewkerne South seat in the May 2027 Somerset Council elections. Bonehill-Paine has a criminal record including a 2015 prison sentence for posting antisemitic material, convictions for burglary and assaulting a police officer, and a 2016 conviction for the racially aggravated harassment of former MP Luciana Berger.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch defended the selection, stating that the party believes in "second chances." She asserted that Bonehill-Paine has been rehabilitated, holds Home Office counter-extremism certifications, and now works to train police and help Jewish communities. Badenoch noted that a local council seat is a limited platform focused on issues like parking and bins, unlike a national platform.

The decision drew widespread condemnation. Luciana Berger, now a peer, urged Badenoch to drop the candidate, stating he should have no role in public life due to his history of racism and misogyny. The Board of Deputies of British Jews called the selection a decision that "beggars belief" and demanded the candidacy be rescinded. Reform UK and Nigel Farage criticized the move as "breathtaking" hypocrisy. Bonehill-Paine countered Reform UK by claiming he had previously passed their own vetting process in 2025.

In response to the backlash, the Conservative Party offered meetings between Bonehill-Paine and representatives from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, and Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. Bonehill-Paine stated he has no excuses for his past and is now dedicated to fighting hatred toward British Jews.