He has seen sense and is standing down as a candidate. I am relieved about this as I have been racking my brains all day to figure out what on earth Kemi was thinking!
From his Facebook page:
"The last 24 hours have shown that a lot of people do not understand how terrible I feel about the things I did when I was much younger.
I know that my previous actions continue to cause pain in the Jewish community. I had thought that getting involved in my local council and working hard for my community was a good way to show how much I have changed and that I want to give something back.
I realise now 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 anti-semitism and rebuild trust.
I was 21 when antisemitism became my whole way of seeing the world. Because of my abhorrent behaviour I was convicted, imprisoned and deservedly punished. Since leaving prison, I have now spent years fighting antisemitism and extremism.
Rehabilitation does not erase what I did. But it does give me a sense of duty. While I cannot change my past, I can warn others away from the same destructive path. I know how this ideology works because I lived inside it.
I also know that if I stand as a council candidate, other political parties will spend all their time focusing on my past rather than the work I'm doing today, or even fighting antisemitism in their own midst.
Rather than standing as a local council candidate, I believe that my experience is better used supporting Kemi Badenoch in her ongoing mission to combat the antisemitism and extremism that is dividing our nation.
I have therefore informed the Party of my decision to withdraw from next year’s council election and Kemi has instead offered that I become an adviser to the Conservative Party’s Culture and Integration Commission, specifically focusing on how young men become radicalised.
I am of course sad that Jewish community groups have refused to meet me. My offer to talk still remains. I am on their side, and I am actively trying to help people susceptible to radicalisation and Jew hatred from heading down that path.
I love the Conservative Party. I believe in its values, and I believe that Kemi Badenoch is someone who believes in principles, believes in redemption and will stick her to do the right thing. I support the work the Party is doing to rebuild trust with the British people, and I intend on making a meaningful contribution to tackling extremism and promoting social cohesion."