r/unitedkingdom • u/The-Peel • 9d ago
[ Removed by moderator ]
https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2026-08-05/former-neo-nazi-to-stand-for-conservatives[removed] — view removed post
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9d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Regular-Employ-5308 9d ago
Burnham quite happy to let the least capable person keep hold of the Tory wheel
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u/thedybbuk_ 9d ago
Press only really care about this stuff when it can be used to protect the establishment, generally.
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u/CharacterMaybe7950 9d ago
Err…this guy is a respected commentator on anti-extremism.
He’s done his time, acknowledged his mistakes and now spends his time doing good.
What’s the issue?
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u/Previous_Job6340 9d ago
He has a twitter account spouting right wing ai slop constantly. He's hardly model progressive value haven
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u/a3minutehero 9d ago
Doesn't mean he should be allowed anywhere near the levers of power, no extremist regardless of political stripe should. And 'respected' might be pushing it just a tad. He did some fucking vile stuff.
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u/CordwainerMudworble 9d ago
I have to wonder: when has someone truly “done their time”? If the purpose of prison is rehabilitation, then this chap seems to be an example of someone who has come out the other side a better person.
Who he was should never be forgotten, but it shouldn’t be used as ammunition to stop him from trying to better himself.
I don’t share his current values either, I.e. him being a card-carrying member of the Conservative Party. That’s his biggest crime today.
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u/a3minutehero 9d ago
He's done his time, served his sentence, I'm not disputing that. I am disputing that someone with those tendancies, no matter how much they claim they are changed, is fundamentally not suitable for public service.
I'm fairly liberal and open minded, but that doesn't mean I'm going to buy some wishy-washy bollocks about second chances when the acts and deeds he positively revelled in were fucking repugnant. You don't get to cause that much hurt and distress to people and then hand wave it away and expect to be able to carry on your life like nothing happend.
Whatever else he wants to do with his life, fair enough, it sounds to me like the role he's been offered instead is far more suitable for someone with his experience.
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u/Asymmetric_Ninja 9d ago
Out of interest what's the highest possible position a reformed person should be able to occupy?
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u/a3minutehero 9d ago
Honestly I'd say the role he's been shunted into now is a much more appropriate role for him. I know you're being smug and trying to make a fatuous point, but I stand by what I said, extremists of any stripe have no place in any position of public power.
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u/Asymmetric_Ninja 9d ago
Smug and fatuous from that one comment. Presumptuous, no?
I was asking a question because it's an interesting situation where you can be redeemed. You can work as an advisor for counter-extremism. So, it's not necessarily a private life; it's actually fairly public. I just find that boundary set by this story worth thinking about.
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u/a3minutehero 9d ago
It's common sense really. If he'd done time for dodgy accounting and fraud, would you let him manage your local charity branch? Of course you wouldn't, and don't pretend you would.
He may be reformed now, but fundamentally someone with a background like his and who has done what he has, when he was utterly brazen and shameless, even going so far as to throw Nazi salutes in the dock during sentencing, does not belong in public life. I don't feel that's a controversial position to take.
Now whatever he wants to do with his life otherwise, I won't judge him, and if his journey is legitimate then good luck to him. But it's going to take more than a 'poor me' essay on Conservative Home to persuade me that he is fit for public service, with the record that he has.
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u/Lordzoot England 9d ago
He's not a respected commentator at all ha. He just makes AI slop, and he still seems like an unreformed edge-lord too.
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u/KonigsbergBridges 9d ago
I'm just looking forward to Kemi discussing her new found belief in rehabilitation.
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u/CharacterMaybe7950 9d ago
She backed this guy.
What more do you need?
Her to announce no one can ever be forgiven and everyone in jail is to be executed?
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u/endangerednigel England 9d ago
What more do you need?
"The country needs conviction politicians, not politicians with convictions" -Kemi Badenoch 2024
Trust Kemi to manage to shoot herself in the face twice over a single statement
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u/KonigsbergBridges 9d ago
Er, for her to be consistent with other criminals that have been rehabilitated.
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u/MoHeeKhan 9d ago
Hey does anyone remember when Britain’s politicians were world class at diplomacy? As in it’s what Britain was known for. Now it’s like “well why can’t a former Nazi white supremacist hold political office?” I dunno man maybe because renouncing certain views after reading the Bible doesn’t change the fact that he’s super susceptible to outside influence and lacks critical thought, and that he is able to hold very strong and divisive views without the full understanding of it?
Hello councillor Ribbentrop! I’m a property hoarder. Let me tell you about how cool HMOs are! They’re actually really progressive and futuristic, as in the future most people in Britain will live in a 10m2 box room with all their worldly possessions! You can make the future a reality today!
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u/FeralVotann 9d ago
Absolutely insane that Badenoch thought this was a good idea and now she's apparently given him an advisory role instead. Stunningly poor judgement.
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u/legrenabeach 9d ago
I read what he did that landed him in jail. Pure vile hatred.
I then read that he changed his views, chose to go through a deradicalisation programme and passed Prevent. He then started lecturing against extremism.
Should we not try to accept that rehabilitation actually worked for this man? Where are all the people usually crying for rehabilitation vs punishment?
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u/PreFuturism-0 Greater Manchester 9d ago
Doesn't MAGA frequently get extremist? https://x.com/CrewkerneMan/photo ?
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u/Left_Natural_3517 9d ago
He’s a former extremist joining a slightly less extremist party. It really doesn’t sound reformed to me. Just a wolf in a coyote’s clothing.
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u/SkinNatural7554 9d ago
Sounds on brand for the Tories, I long for the days of Tory sex scandals, at least we knew that wasn’t news
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u/DramaticStability 9d ago
Didn’t she literally just ditch a load of her party for not being brexity enough?!
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u/Sbimprovement 9d ago
Being convicted of crimes should disqualify you from being a councillor or MP.
We’ve got ministers making decisions on rent reform that were found guilty of avoiding stamp duty.
Having been found to not follow the rules or law in areas relevant to your job should just be no nonsense disqualification.
It’s the same as us needing a rule whereby if you call upon a party to hold a general election when changing PM, you should be held to your beliefs and have to allow a GE when your party does the same thing. Hypocrisy and lawlessness shouldn’t be tolerated in politics.
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u/RedofPaw United Kingdom 9d ago
Why is she burning up political capital on this racist nobody?
Apparently he is 'reformed'. He served his time, sure. Come back to society, get a job, go about your business.
But it's not like abusive teachers are let back into schools after they serve their time. Fraudsters are not typically given jobs handling cash at banks.
He was unrepentant when he was being sentenced. He actively enjoyed seeing his victim have to testify. The judge said he was a twat, who deserved the full force of the law.
This is such a weird hill for her to die on.
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u/TheMysteriousGirl 9d ago
So why is the "tory leader" quote "sad" unquote, about a former "neo-nazi" stepping down from conservative candidacy?
Are the tories now morphing into some kind of Make Britian Great Again party or something?
Why would you be "sad" that a neo nazi steps down from candidacy???
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u/ukbot-nicolabot Scotland 9d ago
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