Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist, has withdrawn his candidacy for the Conservative Party in the upcoming Somerset Council election for the Crewkerne South seat. The decision came after significant backlash following his selection.

Bonehill-Paine was previously convicted in 2016 for racially harassing former Labour MP Luciana Berger, while already serving a jail sentence for sharing antisemitic posts. This conviction and his past actions have led to widespread criticism of his candidacy.

Despite the controversy, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had initially defended Bonehill-Paine's selection, stating that the party believes in second chances and that he had demonstrated rehabilitation. However, following the intensified criticism, Bonehill-Paine announced his withdrawal.

In a social media post, Bonehill-Paine revealed that he has been offered a position as an unpaid anti-extremism adviser to the Conservative Party's Culture and Integration Commission. His new role, he stated, will focus on advising on strategies to prevent young men from becoming radicalized.

Baroness Luciana Berger, the former MP he harassed, described the appointment as an insult, arguing that making him a party adviser is no different from allowing him to stand as a council candidate. She recounted the severe impact his actions had on her life, particularly during legal proceedings when she was over six months pregnant.

The selection of Bonehill-Paine had sparked a considerable political backlash. Jewish groups had declined an offer from him for a meeting, and prominent figures, including UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, questioned the party's decision. Miliband stated that Bonehill-Paine should never have been a candidate given his past harassment of Berger and demanded answers from the Conservative Party regarding his selection and future activities.

Bonehill-Paine, who served three years in prison after being jailed in 2015 for posting antisemitic material, has since described his past views as indefensible and claims to have spent years opposing antisemitism since his release from prison in 2018. However, the initial decision by the Conservative Party to select him for a public office had raised eyebrows in Westminster.

The judge in Bonehill-Paine's 2016 trial remarked that it was difficult to envisage a worse case of racially aggravated harassment. The controversy surrounding his candidacy and subsequent appointment as an adviser is likely to lead to further scrutiny of the Conservative Party's vetting processes and leadership decisions.