Does anyone understand Badenoch’s thinking about Joshua Bonehill-Paine…

[CurlewKate]

…and if they do, can they explain it to me, please?

She didn’t admit she was wrong

She doubled down, said it was a shame that people wouldn’t give him a chance and then gave him a job within the party FFS.

We need to remember that Kemi is a new breed of politicians who does not make mistakes. This isn't hyperbole. She told us herself.

It is an axiom that if you do not make mistakes, you can't have anything to apologise for. Everything you do is infallible.

@SerendipityJane is that what they say now God help us all

I have no idea what "they" say.

However I do know what Kemi says. And that is that she doesn't make mistakes.

He is/was not just anti semitic. He is/was deeply misogynistic as well.

Good job Burnham doesn't think like you then. I hope those who prioritise rehabilitation and reparation over punishment remember their stance on this appointment.

Edited to add: look forward to seeing you all on the next thread about fighting anti-semitism, when it isn't Tory related.

I don't follow sorry.

Are you saying there should be no rehab allowed for anyone ?

Nope. Maybe he’s got some dirt on a senior Tory? That’s the only explanation I can think of.

Kemi Badenoch defended selecting former neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine as a local election candidate and then moving him to an advisory role. She argued that people can change, the party believes in second chances, and reformed extremists offer vital insight into radicalisation.

After he stepped down from running for election, she appointed him to an advisory role on a party commission to help understand how young men get radicalised, arguing that former extremists are uniquely positioned to be part of the solution

or it was a tatic to get him out the way without pushback etc

The whole point of prison in the UK is punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation.

Kemi Badenoch has written about it in today’s Sunday Times (which I do not have a share token for, I’m sorry).

‘Kemi Badenoch: We must believe offenders can be rehabilitated.
Controversy about our council candidate raises the same question as Andy Burnham’s prisoner release scheme: what do punishment and rehabilitation actually mean?’

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/kemi-badenoch-andy-burnham-prisoner-release-scheme-7srhm6mlb

And yet we have MPs with convictions. I don't see why we can't find 650 people who have not broken the law

I do believe in rehab an second chances, but this whole thing is a weird mistake from Kemi. Its extremely odd that she did not sound out Jewish contacts before proceeding with this. She's been pretty good on antisemitism but this suggests her contacts are shallow and opportunistic.

I'm saying that the left normally talk about rehabilitation being an important part of the penal system, more so than punishment. Why is this different in this case if a person has acknowledged their wrongdoings? If any of you supported Corbyn during his era, then you really have no room to criticise this decision. His era saw a high rise in complaints of anti-semitism. The man himself was associated with controversial public figures. In fact, anti-semitism rose under his leadership. This really is the usual double standards.

She's leading with rehabilitation and making controversial decisions to back that up. The Jewish community have nothing to fear from the Conservatives. I'm not Jewish so I can't speak on their behalf. However, there's another party, some of whose representatives do mean them harm but let's let that one slide shall we.

Very poor judgement on her part.

Its one thing ro be rehabilitated another to then take a postion of representation. His crimes were awful. Yes if he has truly changed he can get a job but not one were he is in such a postiton of trust and (sort of) power.

I might tend to agree if I thought this rationale would be applied consistently, cross party.

The discussion here seems to be is more about if he is rehabilitated.

He's going to be advising on the most effective ways to prevent young men being radicalised as he was. I can't see what's not positive about that.

In that case we need to identify if any other Parties have put forward candidates who have convictions for hate crime. And what they done.

Is your position that if the same happened to the lid dems, for example, that the person involved should be given a job with the Party ? And that is they did not, then it would be a double standard ?

So basically, any person who was convicted of a hate crime and served time, just needs to stand for elections and the Party will auto give them a job ?

But we know how radicalising works. That is exactly the method Reform and Restore use to recruit. By "othering" groups of people.

It should be and if not it should be called out. Which other party has racist ex convicts as councillors/MP? I know Reform had an MP who was convicted of violence to his girlfriend. (Who then became an independent but not because of thia but because of some other scandal)
And several from all parties who had to step down because they were arrested whilst in position.
But can't see or remember any who went to prison for a serious crime let alone a racist one. Who are you thinking of?

Common sense should apply to all parties. He stood down and Badenoch saw the value his experience could bring as well as promoting rehabilitation. While he was carrying out a hate crime, Labour were housing antisemitism so forgive me for not jumping all over this one, because it's the Tories.

"Labour were housing antisemitism so forgive me for not jumping all over this one, because it's the Tories."

Can you point me to the news articles about Labour being convicted ?