Badenoch defends decision to allow man jailed for antisemitism to stand as councillor

On Wednesday, The Guardian reported that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is defending her party's decision to allow Joshua Bonehill-Paine to stand as a councillor in Somerset despite his previous jailing for antisemitic abuse of a Labour politician. Badenoch pointed to his contrition in justifying the decision and noted the party is not giving him a national platform. She explained she maintains higher thresholds for parliamentary candidates than for local council seats.

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