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UK Conservatives drop neo-Nazi activist as candidate

·1 min read·2 outlets

The short version

The UK Conservative Party withdrew Joshua Bonehill-Paine as a local election candidate after his past convictions sparked public backlash. The party said he would instead take an advisory role.

Joshua Bonehill-Paine was selected as a Conservative Party candidate for a local election.1 Bonehill-Paine withdrew from the race on the same day, citing the backlash.2 He was convicted in 2015 of racially aggravated harassment against Labour MP Luciana Berger.1

The conviction involved harassment targeting Berger because of her Jewish identity.1 Jewish groups and others publicly criticized the Conservative Party’s decision to select him.2 The party’s leader defended the selection, saying Bonehill-Paine was rehabilitated and could help fight antisemitism.1

Bonehill-Paine said he would take an advisory role within the party instead of running as a candidate.2

Why it matters

  • Luciana Berger is a Labour politician who served as an MP and has spoken publicly about antisemitism in UK politics.1

  • The Conservative Party is one of the two major political parties in the UK, currently leading the government.1

This account was written from the 2 reports listed below, filed by 2 independent outlets, and checked against them line by line. It is not a copy of any one of them. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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2 source reports

2 outlets · 2 countries · citation numbers match the article

  1. 1

    South China Morning Post · HK

    UK Conservatives defend picking former neo-Nazi as election candidate

    Aug 5, 2026

  2. 2

    The Guardian · GB

    Former neo-Nazi activist withdraws as Conservative election candidate

    Aug 5, 2026

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