Nigel Farage and the Reform UK party are under pressure to dismiss a senior councillor following the emergence of a series of alleged racist and inflammatory social media posts.
Allegations of Racist and Supremacist Views
Ian Cooper, the leader of Staffordshire county council, is accused of posting numerous offensive comments online. The posts, first uncovered by the anti-fascist organisation Hope Not Hate and shared with the Guardian, reportedly include a call for a black British lawyer to "F'd off back to Nigeria" and describe London Mayor Sadiq Khan as a "narcissistic Pakistani".
In another alleged comment directed at broadcaster Sangita Myska, Cooper is said to have stated she was English "only in your dreams", arguing she was not ethnically, culturally, or historically English. He also allegedly claimed that migrants from the "global majority south" were "intent on colonising the UK, destroying all that has gone before".
Reform's Investigation and Political Fallout
In response to the revelations, Reform UK confirmed it had launched an urgent internal investigation on Wednesday. The party stated it was looking into Cooper's "non-disclosure of social media accounts". Cooper, who was Reform's parliamentary candidate for Tamworth in both the 2023 by-election and the 2024 general election, has not publicly responded to the allegations.
The controversy has triggered a strong reaction from local Labour MPs. Nine Labour MPs from the region have demanded Cooper's immediate resignation. Dave Robertson, one of the MPs, labelled the posts as "outright bigotry" and said Cooper had exposed his "far-right and racist opinions".
Sarah Edwards, the Labour MP for Tamworth, said the posts displayed "deeply disturbing white supremacist views". She asserted that such ideas have no place in society or public office, adding that Cooper had "failed in his fundamental duty" to uphold equality and respect.
A Pattern of Controversy for Reform
This incident is not isolated for the party. Two other Reform UK politicians were suspended just last month over offensive messages. Laura Anne Jones, the party's sole member of the Welsh Senedd, was suspended for using a racial slur, while Lancashire councillor Tom Pickup was suspended for derogatory comments about Keir Starmer in a WhatsApp group where members allegedly called for "mass Islam genocide".
Cooper was elected as the leader of Staffordshire county council in May 2024, following Reform's significant gains in local council elections across England. He is also listed as the interim chair of the party's Tamworth branch. The Guardian has contacted Cooper, Reform UK, and Staffordshire county council for further comment.
