A former neo-Nazi is set to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the upcoming Somerset local elections on 6 May 2027. The elections will see residents vote for 96 councillors to serve on the newly formed Somerset Council, the first under revised boundaries established following a consultation by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).
Among those standing are current councillors, including council leader Bill Revans, who will contest the revised North Petherton seat, and Oliver Patrick, seeking re-election to the amended Coker division.
The most recent candidate announcement is Joshua Bonehill-Paine, who will represent the Conservatives in the new Crewkerne South division. Mr Bonehill-Paine has a complex past, including three years in prison and convictions for assaulting a police officer, burglary of a police station, and malicious communications relating to an anti-Islam hoax. In 2015, he was jailed for posting anti-Semitic material online ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally, and in 2016 was convicted of racially aggravated harassment towards former Labour MP Luciana Berger.
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Since his release in 2018, Mr Bonehill-Paine has obtained various counter-extremism certifications from the Home Office. He serves as an executive member of the Conservatives' Yeovil branch, acting as an events organiser, with the chairman describing him as “a vocal advocate” of his rehabilitation. He also runs the Crewkerne Gazette, a Facebook page featuring AI-generated satirical political videos.
The boundary changes have divided the former Crewkerne division into two new divisions: Crewkerne North and Merriott, and Crewkerne South, which includes the railway station and several villages near the Dorset border.
Announcing his candidacy on his official Facebook page, Mr Bonehill-Paine expressed pride in his selection and criticised the ruling Liberal Democrats for their record since 2022. He highlighted concerns such as poor road conditions, traffic problems, empty shops, unchecked housing developments, inadequate support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and the loss of green spaces.
He pledged to prioritise local people, calling for increased policing, improved infrastructure and healthcare, genuine support for SEND children, protection of the countryside, and housing policies focused on local families.
“We are going to restore our town. We are going to bring back pride. We are going to win – and together, we can get Crewkerne, and Somerset, working again,” he said.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch MP defended Mr Bonehill-Paine’s candidacy, stating that he had shown contrition for his past crimes and deserved a second chance after serving his sentences. Speaking in Guildford, she emphasised his current work in training police officers on anti-Semitism and countering extremism, noting that he is certified by the Home Office.
“The Conservative Party believes in second chances,” Ms Badenoch said. “This is not just someone who’s a convicted criminal; this is somebody actively working to help communities, especially Jewish communities. I want second chances for good people who have learned their lessons and understand what they did was wrong.”
The full list of candidates for the Somerset local elections is expected to be published by early April 2027.