Key facts
- Kemi Badenoch defended the decision to allow Joshua Bonehill-Paine, jailed for antisemitic abuse, to stand as a local councillor.
- Badenoch cited Bonehill-Paine's rehabilitation, including training Prevent officers and speaking at universities.
- Luciana Berger, a victim of Bonehill-Paine's abuse, stated that rehabilitation does not equate to suitability for public office.
- Bonehill-Paine has prior convictions for assault, burglary, and malicious communications.
- Bonehill-Paine was jailed for posting antisemitic material and found guilty of racially aggravated harassment against Berger.
Kemi Badenoch, a government minister, has defended her party's decision to allow Joshua Bonehill-Paine, who has a history of antisemitic abuse and was previously jailed, to stand as a local councillor in Somerset.
Badenoch stated that Bonehill-Paine is demonstrating contrition and is actively involved in counter-extremism work, including training Prevent officers and speaking at universities and schools. She expressed concern about antisemitism and argued that rejecting individuals who have been radicalized and are now part of the fight against it hinders rehabilitation efforts. Badenoch views Bonehill-Paine as someone who has been rehabilitated.
However, Luciana Berger, who was subjected to a campaign of antisemitic abuse by Bonehill-Paine in 2016, stated that there is a significant difference between societal reintegration and standing for public office. Berger noted the profound and deep impacts of the abuse she endured and questioned the suitability of Bonehill-Paine for public life, particularly given his continued publication of AI videos and concerns about misogyny.
Badenoch suggested that while Bonehill-Paine might not meet the threshold for standing as a Member of Parliament, his ambition for a local councillor position, focused on issues like parking and waste management, is legitimate. In response to criticism from Labour MPs, Badenoch highlighted that Louise Haigh, a member of Andy Burnham's cabinet, has a fraud conviction.
Bonehill-Paine, who created the satirical 'Crewkerne Gazette' AI video series, stated he is an executive member of the Tories’ Yeovil branch and has engaged in counter-extremism work since his release from prison. His past convictions include assaulting a police officer, burglary of a police station, and malicious communications over an anti-Islam hoax. He was jailed in 2015 for posting antisemitic material and in 2016 was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment for targeting Berger with abusive messages.