Key facts
- Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist with convictions including harassment, has been selected as a Conservative candidate for a Somerset council election.
- Bonehill-Paine has convictions for assaulting a police officer, burglary, malicious communications, and racially aggravated harassment.
- He previously founded and led the far-right group National British Resistance.
- Bonehill-Paine is also known as the creator of the satirical online account 'Crewkerne Gazette'.
- The Conservative party stated it is aware of his past, and Bonehill-Paine claims his convictions are spent and he holds counter-extremism certifications.
A former neo-Nazi activist with a history of convictions, including harassment of a Jewish MP, has been selected as a Conservative candidate for a local election in Somerset. Joshua Bonehill-Paine, who previously described himself as a "nationalist, fascist, theorist and supporter of white rights," is set to stand for election to Somerset council next year in the new Crewkerne South district.
Bonehill-Paine stated that the Conservative party, including the chairman of the Yeovil branch, is fully aware of his past and has supported his membership. He mentioned that his criminal convictions are spent and that he holds various Home Office counter-extremism certifications. He also claimed to have spoken alongside MPs about his past and highlighted antisemitism faced by Britain's Jewish community.
Bonehill-Paine is also known as the creator of the "Crewkerne Gazette," a satirical online account. Notably, the account has been critical of Labour and Reform UK, while casting Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in a favorable light. This comes after Conservative chief whip Rebecca Harris faced criticism for reposting a video that depicted Badenoch and her shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, in a manner reminiscent of the film Scarface, a video created by Bonehill-Paine.
His criminal record includes convictions for assaulting a police officer, burglary of a police station, and malicious communications over an anti-Islam hoax that resulted in death threats. In 2015, he was jailed for posting antisemitic material online ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally. In 2016, he was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment for abuse directed at then-Labour MP Luciana Berger, which included calling her a "rodent" and an "evil money-grabber." He was also the founder and leader of the far-right group National British Resistance.
The selection has drawn sharp criticism from political opponents. A Reform UK spokesperson accused the Conservative leader of hypocrisy, stating, "Kemi claims to support the fight against antisemitism yet selects a convicted antisemite Nazi as a candidate. The hypocrisy is breathtaking." The selection occurs as Badenoch is accused of sidelining centrist Tories, with prospective MPs required to align with her pledge to scrap the 2050 net zero target and leave the European convention on human rights. This follows recent events where a young Tory activist resigned, citing a lack of space for "one nation conservatism" in the party, and Badenoch's comments about leading "a brand new party full of new people" after former cabinet minister Grant Shapps was reportedly rejected as a candidate.