Berger called on Badenok to rescind the decision to cast a former neo-Nazi in the role
Luciana Berger, a Labour Party member of the House of Lords, has called on Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party of Great Britain, to revoke the decision to appoint Joshua Bonehill-Payne — a former neo-Nazi — a national advisory role. He is set to join the party’s committee on culture and integration, according to The Guardian World.
Berger stated that she is still feeling the effects of Bonehill-Payne’s crimes more than nine years later. She questioned what security checks Badenoch and the Conservative Party conducted before granting him this role, and also expressed concern that his work on the committee could bring him to Westminster.
A spokesperson for Badenoch stated that Bonehill-Payne will not have a parliamentary pass and will not be on parliamentary premises. However, the party did not respond to questions about the vetting process or the reasons why Badenoch had not contacted Berger.
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In 2015, Bonehill-Payne was sentenced to more than three years in prison for publishing anti-Semitic material online on the eve of a planned neo-Nazi rally. In 2016, he was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment for insulting Berger, who was a member of Parliament at the time. He was also the founder and leader of the far-right group National British Resistance.
Bownhill-Payne had planned to run as a Conservative candidate for the Somerset local council, but last week announced he was withdrawing his candidacy for next year’s election after Badenoch offered him an advisory role. Badenoch defended her decision, citing the importance of accountability for offenses, protecting victims, and the possibility of rehabilitation. Her spokesperson noted that Bonehill-Payne had served his sentence, completed Prevent training courses at the UK Home Office, and spoken at schools on combating antisemitism and extremism.
