Former neo-Nazi activist quits as Tory council candidate but Kemi Badenoch offers him new job

Former neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine has withdrawn his candidacy for Somerset's upcoming county council election after being selected to contest a ward as a Conservative.

Mr Bonehill-Paine, who built a social media following after posting AI videos under the pseudonym Crewkerne Man, confirmed he would no longer contest one of the 96 seats up for grabs.

He had put his name forward to contest the new Crewkerne South division, which is seen as a knife-edge ward fought between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

However, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch found herself under pressure to distance herself from Mr Bonehill-Paine this week after it was revealed the 33-year-old has a series of previous convictions.

Mr Bonehill-Paine has been convicted of assaulting a police officer, the burglary of a police station and malicious communications over an anti-Islam hoax.

He was jailed in 2015 after posting "vile" antisemitic material online ahead of a neo-Nazi rally and was subsequently convicted of racially aggravated harassment towards then-Labour MP Luciana Berger.

In a 426-word statement, Mr Bonehill-Paine said: "I know that my previous actions continue to cause pain in the Jewish community.

"I had thought that getting involved in my local council and working hard for my community was a good way to show how much I have changed and that I want to give something back.

"I realise now that the fight against antisemitism is something that I actually need to do more of, I need to show the Jewish community how much I regret my previous actions and how hard I will work to fight to help destroy anti-semitism and rebuild trust.

"I was 21 when antisemitism became my whole way of seeing the world.

"Because of my abhorrent behaviour I was convicted, imprisoned and deservedly punished.

"Since leaving prison, I have now spent years fighting antisemitism and extremism."

However, the 33-year-old also appeared to indicate he will take up a new position in the Conservative Party.

He added: "Kemi has instead offered that I become an adviser to the Conservative Party’s Culture and Integration Commission, specifically focusing on how young men become radicalised."

Mrs Badenoch, who initially defended the decision to select Mr Bonehill-Paine as the local Tory candidate, faced fury from Jewish community figures.

Both the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council had turned down the Tory Party’s offer of a meeting with Mr Bonehill-Paine.

Baroness Berger also said: “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.”

However, Mrs Badenoch has welcomed Mr Bonehill-Paine to his new post as an adviser.

In a social media post, the Leader of the Opposition said: "I am glad he is going to work with me and the party on tackling radicalisation as part of our Culture and Integration commission.

"If we are going to stop extremism and antisemitism we are going to need help from those people who were part of the problem, but have now changed and are being part of the solution."