Kemi Badenoch Approves Convicted Antisemite for Council Candidacy
Joshua Bonehill-Paine, jailed for antisemitic rally attempts and harassment, cleared to stand for Somerset Council amidst strong condemnation.
Callum Smith
Kemi Badenoch has approved Joshua Bonehill-Paine to stand as a candidate for the Somerset Council election.
Joshua Bonehill-Paine received a three-year jail sentence in 2015 for attempting to organize a rally against "the complete Jewification" of Golders Green.
He also faced conviction for racially harassing former Labour MP Luciana Berger, publishing five hate-filled blog posts targeting her.
Baroness Luciana Berger, then the MP for Liverpool Wavertree, declared, "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."
She added, "This case still haunts me," and directly addressed Kemi Badenoch, stating, "Kemi Badenoch you've got this very, very wrong."
The severity of Joshua Bonehill-Paine’s crimes targeting Luciana Berger and others mean that he still faces ongoing legal restrictions.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council declined an invitation to meet Mr. Bonehill-Paine.
They stated, "The severity of Joshua Bonehill-Paine’s crimes targeting Luciana Berger and others mean that he still faces ongoing legal restrictions."
They further noted, "Whilst we do believe in the possibility of rehabilitation, this should not, in this case, entail selection as a candidate for a major political party, and the impact of this decision on the victims ought to be a central consideration."
The Board of Deputies of British Jews described the approval as something that "beggars belief," a sentiment Karen Newman echoed, also stating, "It beggars belief."
Kemi Badenoch defended the decision, stating, "I’m not giving him a national platform, he is standing to be a councillor in Somerset … it is a local platform looking at parking, sorting out bins."
Badenoch also remarked, "I have much higher thresholds for what it takes to be a Conservative MP."
She further explained, "I think what Luciana is talking about is not rehabilitation but forgiveness. I can understand that she does not want to forgive this man. I might not if I had been his victim."
I am extremely worried about antisemitism and what I feel is that if we can’t have the people who have previously been radicalized, who understand what went wrong and are part of the fight against antisemitism now, if we’re saying: ‘No, no, no, you’re untouchable,’ then how can we pretend that we believe in rehabilitation?
Badenoch emphasized her concern about antisemitism, stating, "I am extremely worried about antisemitism and what I feel is that if we can’t have the people who have previously been radicalized, who understand what went wrong and are part of the fight against antisemitism now, if we’re saying: ‘No, no, no, you’re untouchable,’ then how can we pretend that we believe in rehabilitation?"
Baroness Berger countered, "There's a big difference between going back into society and teaching others possibly about what you did and why it was wrong, to making the leap to standing for public office."
She added, "I think there's a massive distinction there and this is not just one-off hurty words. This is a man that engaged and indulged in a sustained campaign, not just against me, but many others."
Bonehill-Paine, who served three years in prison for his actions, now delivers counter-extremism sessions around the UK.
He claims to have since dedicated himself to challenging hatred faced by British Jews and states his convictions are spent, holding Home Office certification for counter-extremism work.
Bonehill-Paine also runs a satirical website featuring AI-generated videos of politicians, while stating, "I have no excuses for my past offending."
The selection is for the Crewkerne South seat on Somerset Council in 2027.