英国保守党提名Joshua Bonehill-Paine作为萨默塞特郡Crewkerne South选区的地方议会选举候选人[1]。Bonehill-Paine曾因骚扰犹太工党议员Luciana Berger等反犹太行为在2016年被定罪[1]，他还因2015年在网上发布"令人厌恶的"反犹太材料被判监禁超过三年[1]。
这一人选引发了党内及党外的严厉批评。保守党主任鞭Rebecca Harris因转发Bonehill-Paine创建的讽刺账号Crewkerne Gazette中的视频而遭到质疑[1]。改革英国党发言人指责称，"Kemi声称支持反对反犹太主义的斗争，却选择了被定罪的反犹太纳粹分子作为候选人"[1]，质疑了保守党领导人Kemi Badenoch在打击反犹太主义问题上的诚意。此外，年轻保守党活动人士Cody Butler上周末辞去了一个民族保守主义网络的主席职位，声称党内已不再有民族保守主义的容身之地[1]。
The UK Conservative Party has nominated Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist with convictions for antisemitic harassment, as a candidate for a local council seat in Somerset [1]. Bonehill-Paine was convicted in 2016 for harassing Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger, and in 2015 he received a prison sentence exceeding three years for publishing "vile" antisemitic material online [1].
The selection has drawn sharp criticism, particularly regarding party leadership's stated commitment to combating antisemitism [1]. Rebecca Harris, the Conservative Party's chief whip, faced backlash after sharing videos created by Bonehill-Paine through his satirical account, Crewkerne Gazette, which has gained traction within senior party circles [1]. A Reform UK spokesperson challenged the apparent contradiction, stating: "Kemi claims to support the fight against antisemitism, yet has selected a convicted antisemitic Nazi as a candidate" [1]. Meanwhile, young Conservative activist Cody Butler resigned from his position leading a national conservative network over the weekend, claiming there is no longer a home for national conservatism within the party [1].