Jewish leaders turn down meeting with Conservative council candidate jailed for antisemitism. Should previously jailed offenders, whilst still facing ongoing legal restrictions, be allowed to select

Tuliptree- I agree he's not an idiot. I am mindful he may have disruptive motivations. I am more concerned about Badenoch.

Am all for second chances where appropriate, and it just wasn’t appropriate in this guy’s case.He doesn’t need to hold any kind of public office to lead a good life.
KB has made a bad judgement.

Oreo

Am all for second chances where appropriate, and it just wasn’t appropriate in this guy’s case.He doesn’t need to hold any kind of public office to lead a good life.
KB has made a bad judgement.

He doesn’t need to hold any kind of public office to lead a good life.

Good point Oreo.

I support rehabilitation and second chances but politics us the possible. Badenoch has not read the room on this case. She is right to defend rehab in general but if large numbers of people don't like the optics in this case she's got it wrong politically. Bonehill-Paine in standing down is a better judge of the optics.

politics is the art of the possible

Fat fingers again.

I understand that he is going to be involved in some form of working to prevent others becoming antisemitic and having extreme beliefs (possibly including misogyny). If he can prove through that work that he has indeed reformed and become a useful member of society, then might be the time for him to seek election. Up until then, I agree with others that it is too early for him to be considered, and that Kemi Badenoch has not thought things through properly.

Wheniwasyourage

I understand that he is going to be involved in some form of working to prevent others becoming antisemitic and having extreme beliefs (possibly including misogyny). If he can prove through that work that he has indeed reformed and become a useful member of society, then might be the time for him to seek election. Up until then, I agree with others that it is too early for him to be considered, and that Kemi Badenoch has not thought things through properly.

I think that type of work is too important to be left to a supposedly reformed/rehabilitated neo nazi anti-Semite I wouldn’t want a convicted rehabilitated rapist advising on the meaning of consent either.

I keep thinking, is this really the best the Conservatives can do? Aren't there other party members without criminal convictions willing to be councillors?

I agree Tuliptree.

He wants to "help prevent others becoming antisemitic and having extreme beliefs (possibly including misogyny)"? More appropriate to do that by offering offer his 'expertise' and experience to the police and criminal justice service. where safeguards are in place.

If that is his true motivation of course.

Badenoch's judgement still be questioned by media outlets.

This man was jailed for a variety of reasons, twice. He harassed a female jewish MP. He currently uses AI to create satirical posts to ridicule labour MPs- that does not appear to concern Badenoch. He has tried hard to reinvent himself. He has got into the good books of Kemi Badenoch somehow so is most likely persuasive.

The difficulty I have is if he was not appropriate to be a Conservative Party candidate why is he now appropriate to be a Conservative Party advisor?

Kemi Badenoch has publicly stated made he has personal rehabilitation Home Office certification However this has been fact checked by the media. The Home Office has responded this is not factually true the Home Office has clarified it does not in fact issue such personal certification.

Bedenoch makes this embellished, false claim at the same time a Cambridge professor is facing intense media scrutiny for making false, embellished claims- not a good look and poor timing.

The Reform party leader, Farage is also facing adverse media scrutiny re claims he has made- a time for Bedenoch to double down and show her party to be stable but she’s doing the opposite and bringing her own judgment into question.

Badenoch has made public statements about the prisoner early release scheme stating we should focus on the victims not the prisoners and that they should not be released early. However Bonehill-Paine did not serve his whole sentence so does she believe in rehabilitation or only when it suits her? She brought victims into her media appearance to speak- but she made no mention of and neither did she approach any of Bonehill Paine’s victims when she considered his candidacy application, the party advisor role or when this story first hit the press.

Its parliamentary recess, a new Labour Party PM and her judgement is being questioned. I would also question her timing- simply not reading the room.

Someone asked the question

“Will KB, who is keen to give people second chances, now argue that Shemima Begum be allowed to return home?”

Whitewavemark2

Someone asked the question

“Will KB, who is keen to give people second chances, now argue that Shemima Begum be allowed to return home?”

That’s suitable vague.
Which someone?

MrsSquirrel

I keep thinking, is this really the best the Conservatives can do? Aren't there other party members without criminal convictions willing to be councillors?

I wonder increasingly, whether the people with talent, who would in previous decades have gone into Politics, are swerving that career altogether.
And who can blame them?

Mollygo

Whitewavemark2

Someone asked the question

“Will KB, who is keen to give people second chances, now argue that Shemima Begum be allowed to return home?”

That’s suitable vague.
Which someone?

Mary Hutty

Thanks. WWM2