The Conservative Party is under renewed pressure to rescind the selection of Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi jailed for a campaign of antisemitic abuse against former MP Luciana Berger, after she publicly urged leader Kemi Badenoch to drop him. Berger, now a Labour member of the House of Lords, stated on social media that Bonehill-Paine should have no role in public life due to his racism and views on women.
Berger's Emotional Appeal
In a series of online posts directed at Badenoch, Berger said she remains haunted by the case and accused the Conservative leader of getting it "very, very wrong." She detailed that Bonehill-Paine was convicted for racial harassment over five specific blogs, but that he had also published extensive racist, misogynistic, and pornographic material about her. Berger recalled giving evidence at the Old Bailey while six months pregnant, describing it as "two days of hell." She added that other victims had their lives destroyed, and she felt sick reading commentators defending the selection.
Badenoch's Defense of Second Chances
Badenoch defended the selection on Tuesday, insisting she believes in second chances. She said Bonehill-Paine, who is certified by the Home Office to train police officers on antisemitism and counter-extremism, has shown contrition and been rehabilitated. "He’s going up and down the country training people and the Conservative party believes in second chances," she said. Bonehill-Paine, creator of the viral Crewkerne Gazette AI clips, is due to stand for Somerset council next year and claims to be an executive member of the Yeovil branch.
Criticism from Jewish Groups and Others
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and Labour leaders condemned the move, contrasting it with the freezing out of centrist Tories. Karen Newman, vice-president of the Board, called it "beggars belief" that any party would select a multiply convicted felon and founder of the far-right group National British Resistance. She confirmed the Board has contacted the Conservative party to demand rescission and a review of vetting processes.
Bonehill-Paine's Criminal History
Bonehill-Paine has a conviction for assaulting a police officer and burglary of a police station. In 2014, he was convicted of malicious communications over an anti-Islam hoax that led to death threats against a pub owner in Leicester. He was jailed in 2015 for over three years for posting antisemitic material online before a planned neo-Nazi rally. In 2016, he was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment of Berger, who is Jewish. The Jewish Labour Movement described his selection as "appalling."
Reform UK's Counterattack
Bonehill-Paine hit back at Reform UK after its leader Nigel Farage criticized the Tories. He shared an email showing Reform had thanked him for applying to be a candidate and passed vetting checks, plus evidence that Reform's Yeovil chair invited him to discuss standing for the party in June. A Reform spokesperson responded, "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."
