Reform UK council leader Ian Cooper stripped of membership over alleged racist posts

The Reform UK leader of Staffordshire County Council has had his membership of the party revoked following claims he posted racist remarks on social media.

Ian Cooper, who was elected to the position in May, allegedly called Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, a "narcissistic Pakistani" and said migrants were "intent on colonising the UK, destroying all that has gone before".

The campaign group Hope not Hate claims racist posts online were made from accounts with his name.

The group said: "Reform UK's Cllr Ian Cooper has posted dozens of racist and bigoted posts to YouTube and X/Twitter under his personal accounts."

The posts are alleged to have been made prior to the May election - in February, Cooper allegedly called the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, a “narcissistic Pakistani”.

In another alleged post, directed at the broadcaster Sangita Myska, Cooper said she was English “only in your dreams”, adding: “You are neither ethnically, culturally or historically English.

"Your diaspora isn’t NW European. All you have is a piece of paper entitling you to British citizenship.”

Cooper is also alleged to have posted a comment about the black, British-born lawyer and activist Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, saying “Dr Shaga Bing-Bong…. Time she F’d off back to Nigeria. She’d feel more at home there.”

Hope not Hate also claimed Cooper said the idea that diversity is Britain’s strength was "a lie", and that he allegedly claimed that migrants from the “global majority south” were “intent on colonising the UK, destroying all that has gone before”.

Nine Labour MPs from Stoke and Staffordshire had called for his resignation.

They are Jacob Collier MP, Burton and Uttoxeter, Josh Newbury MP, Cannock Chase, Dave Robertson MP, Lichfield, Adam Jogee MP, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Leigh Ingham MP, Stafford, Gareth Snell MP, Stoke-on-Trent Central, David Williams MP, Stoke-on-Trent North, Allison Gardner MP, Stoke-on-Trent South and Sarah Edwards MP, Tamworth.

They said: “Ian Cooper has, by sharing this kind of material, exposed his far-right and racist opinions.

"He should now resign the Leadership and his seat. Staffordshire deserves better than this outright bigotry."

Councillor Philip White, leader of Staffordshire Conservatives said: "It was inevitable that Ian Cooper would have to go, but Reform have done nothing to address the bigotry that appears to be embedded in their Staffordshire branch. "Revoking Ian Cooper's party membership on a technicality and allowing Peter Mason to remain as a Reform county councillor and cabinet member despite his racist, misogynistic homophobic and anti police social media posts shows that Reform still wants to sweep this under the carpet."Nigel Farage needs to instigate an urgent review of his entire Staffordshire operation. This is the third time since May this has happened with a Staffordshire Reform councillor and that pattern cannot be ignored."Ian Cooper should now resign as a councillor."

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the party leader, Mr Farage, said: "I discovered this late yesterday afternoon and I was slightly shocked that there appeared to be a social media account that had not been declared to us.

"As part of vetting, people have to be honest with us and declare what social media account they have.

"With candidates, you can deal with problems in their past, but you have to know what they are.

"So I made a snap decision to go through due process. All I would say is it doesn't look very good.

"We expect our people to be truthful with us, and if they're truthful with us we'll be honourable towards them."

A Reform UK spokesman said: "Following an investigation into the failure to declare social media accounts during the candidate vetting process, Councillor Ian Cooper has had his membership of Reform UK revoked."Councillor Martin Murray has been appointed interim leader of the Reform UK group on Staffordshire County Council until the group elects a new permanent leader.

ITV News Central has approached Councillor Cooper for comment.

A spokesperson for Staffordshire County Council said: “Reform UK has confirmed this evening that they have revoked the party membership of Ian Cooper, the Leader of Staffordshire County Council.

“Reform UK has announced that Martin Murray will be the interim leader of the council’s Reform UK group. Any proposals to nominate a new Leader of the Council will need to be agreed at a meeting of Full Council. We will work with the administration on the next steps.

“Our job will be to continue serving the residents of Staffordshire and delivering services without disruption.”

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