UK Jewish groups reject offer to meet former neo-Nazi Conservative council candidate

Organizations say Joshua Bonehill-Paine’s crimes against Jewish former Labour MP Luciana Berger are too severe for political office, urge party to withdraw his candidacy

UK Jewish groups said Wednesday they had rejected an offer to meet with Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist who served a prison term for antisemitic offenses and who was selected to run in a local council election by the Conservative Party.

In a joint statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council said they had ‘”declined the Conservative Party’s invitation to meet with a former neo-Nazi with criminal convictions for antisemitic hatred.”

The Jewish groups said that “the severity of Joshua Bonehill-Paine’s crimes targeting Luciana Berger and others mean that he still faces ongoing legal restrictions,” referring to the Jewish former Labour MP who was targeted by Bonehill-Paine.

“Whilst we do believe in the possibility of rehabilitation, this should not in this case entail selection as a candidate for a political party, and the impact of this decision on the victims ought to be a central consideration,” they added.

The organizations said they had agreed to meet Conservative Party officials to discuss the party’s decision-making process and urge it to rescind Bonehill-Paine’s selection.

The statement came after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch again defended the decision to allow Bonehill-Paine to stand in the local council of Somerset, arguing that he had demonstrated remorse and been rehabilitated.

We have declined the Conservative Party’s invitation to meet Joshua Bonehill-Paine. Read our joint statement with @BoardofDeputies below. pic.twitter.com/e6Eksnanhn

— Jewish Leadership Council (@JLC_uk) August 5, 2026

“I’m someone who’s quite skeptical about rehabilitation and I see this man as somebody who has been rehabilitated,'” Badenoch told BBC’s Radio 4 Today program.

Bonehill-Paine, 33, had previously described himself as a fascist and supporter of “white rights,” and led a far-right group called the National British Resistance.

He was jailed for more than three years in 2015 after publishing antisemitic material ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally. In 2016, he was convicted of racially aggravated harassment over an online campaign against Berger, in which he called her a “rodent” and an “evil money-grabber.”

MP Luciana Berger speaks during a press conference in London on February 18, 2019, where she and colleagues announced their resignation from the Labour Party, and the formation of a new independent group of MPs. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP)

In the same radio program, Berger told the BBC that while returning to society and educating others about past wrongdoing was one thing, “there is a massive distinction” between that and seeking public office. She said she continued to live with the “profound and deep impacts” of Bonehill-Paine’s abuse.

Conservative leader Badenoch, who has been a staunch supporter of the Jewish community and Israel, defended the decision, saying that Bonehill-Paine was not being given a national platform and would be dealing with local issues such as parking and garbage collection.

She added that she would apply a “much higher” standard to candidates seeking to become Conservative members of Parliament.

Britain’s Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch speaks during a press conference in London, on April 17, 2026. (AP/Kin Cheung)

Bonehill-Paine has said he regrets his past and has worked with schools, universities, police and probation officials to prevent others from becoming involved in extremism.