A former neo-Nazi who was jailed for hate crimes has withdrawn as a Conservative candidate in next year's local elections after facing criticism over his selection.
Joshua Bonehill-Paine said he needed to do more to demonstrate to the Jewish community that he had changed and was committed to fighting antisemitism.
He was convicted in 2015 of racially aggravated harassment of Luciana Berger, who was then a Labour MP, and was also jailed for stirring up racial hatred against a Jewish community in north London.
His selection as a candidate for Somerset Council in south-west England prompted condemnation from Ms Berger, political opponents and Jewish organisations.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had previously rejected calls for him to be removed as a candidate.
Mr Bonehill-Paine said he had wanted to stand for election to demonstrate that he had changed since his convictions.
But he said he had since realised that "the fight against antisemitism is something that I actually need to do more of".
"I need to show the Jewish community how much I regret my previous actions and how hard I will work to fight to help destroy antisemitism and rebuild trust," he wrote on X.
Ms Badenoch said she was "sad" that Mr Bonehill-Paine would no longer stand as a Conservative candidate.
However, she said she would continue working with him on efforts to tackle radicalisation.
Antisemitism has remained a major political issue in Britain, with several parties facing controversy over candidates and members accused of antisemitic behaviour.
A candidate for the Welsh parliament representing Reform UK withdrew earlier this year after a photograph appeared to show him making a Nazi salute.
The Green Party also suspended several candidates accused of antisemitism ahead of May's local elections.
The governing Labour Party has faced separate criticism over its handling of antisemitism complaints. In 2023, the Equality and Human Rights Commission said Labour had taken sufficient steps to address the failings identified in an earlier investigation. Photo by Chris McAndrew, Wikimedia commons.
