Luciana Berger urges Tories to drop convicted candidate

On August 4, 2026, former MP Luciana Berger, now a member of the House of Lords, used social media to ask Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch to exclude Joshua Bonehill-Paine from any public role. Berger reiterated that the man should not hold public office because of his history of racism and his views on women.

Luciana Berger urges Conservative party to exclude convicted candidate

By replying directly to Badenoch in a series of online comments, Berger said she still feels “haunted” by the case and accused the leader of having “made a huge mistake”. She emphasized that, beyond the conviction for racial harassment concerning five blogs, Bonehill-Paine published “stacks” of deeply racist, misogynistic and pornographic material about her.

Joshua Bonehill-Paine's criminal record

Bonehill-Paine was convicted in 2016 of aggravated racial harassment against Berger, which occurred while she was six months pregnant, forcing her to testify at the Old Bailey on two days she described as “hells”. The conviction covered five specific blogs, but the court recognised that the disseminated content went beyond mere defamation, also entering the realm of misogyny.

Kemi Badenoch's defence and the idea of a second chance

When questioned, Kemi Badenoch defended the candidate’s selection, claiming to believe in “second chances”. She said that Bonehill-Paine, although previously convicted, shows remorse, is undergoing rehabilitation and devotes himself daily to combating the extremism he once promoted. Badenoch also highlighted that the candidate received Home Office certification to train police officers on antisemitism and counter-extremism.

Reactions from Jewish organisations and other parties

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, represented by vice-president Karen Newman, denounced the selection as “unbelievable”, noting that Bonehill-Paine is the founder of the far-right group National British Resistance. The body contacted the Conservative Party requesting the revocation of the candidacy and a review of the vetting processes. The Jewish Labour Movement also described the choice as “disturbing”.

Other convictions and recent activities of Bonehill-Paine

In addition to the racial harassment conviction, Bonehill-Paine has other sentences: assault on a police officer, burglary of a police station, malicious communication in 2014 linked to an anti-Islamic rumor that led to death threats against pub owners in Leicester, and a 2015 imprisonment of more than three years for antisemitic material published ahead of a purported neo-Nazi rally. Recently, he resurfaced as the creator of the AI clip series “Crewkerne Gazette” and intends to run for Somerset council next year.

Criticism of the Conservative government’s stance

The Reform UK party, after Nigel Farage’s criticism of Conservatism, received an email from Bonehill-Paine expressing gratitude for his candidacy and confirming his eligibility checks. The Reform spokesperson said there are clear reasons why the candidate should not be accepted by his own party, accusing Badenoch of hypocrisy for proclaiming a fight against antisemitism while supporting a convicted offender.

With information from The Guardian.