Council Leader’s Party Membership Canceled Amid Racism Allegations

The leader of Reform UK at Staffordshire County Council, Ian Cooper, has been expelled from the party following accusations of racist remarks made on social media.

Central to the allegations against Cooper was a post that referred to former Foreign Secretary David Lammy, asserting that “no foreign national or first-generation migrant should hold a seat in Parliament.”

A spokesperson for the party confirmed, “After conducting an inquiry into the omission of social media accounts during the vetting process for candidates, Ian Cooper’s membership in Reform UK has been terminated.”

While Cooper continues to serve as the council leader, he has been stripped of his role as the head of the Reform group.

Nigel Farage, the national leader of Reform UK, commented that the investigation into Cooper’s actions did not bode well for his standing as council leader.

Attempts to reach Cooper for comments have gone unanswered.

The activist organization Hope Not Hate has alleged that it uncovered racist content linked to Cooper on an account associated with him on the social media platform X.

Additionally, scrutiny has been cast on his interactions on Facebook, where he was purportedly a top fan of a page named The European Race, known for promoting white supremacist ideologies.

A “top fan” designation indicates substantial engagement with a Facebook page.

Philip White, the leader of the Conservative group in Staffordshire, which governed the council prior to the elections in May, has urged Cooper to resign.

“It was only a matter of time before Ian Cooper would need to step down, but Reform has failed to tackle the evident bigotry within their Staffordshire branch,” White stated.

He further emphasized, “Nigel Farage must urgently reassess the entirety of his Staffordshire operations; this marks the third incident involving a Staffordshire Reform councillor since May, a trend that warrants attention.”

Earlier this week, as allegations regarding Cooper emerged, nine Labour MPs from Staffordshire called for his resignation.

They issued a statement before Friday’s announcement, declaring, “By sharing such content, Ian Cooper has revealed his far-right and racist views. Staffordshire deserves to be represented better than this blatant bigotry.”

Cooper had been appointed as the leader of the authority in May after Reform UK won 49 seats on the council.

In the interim, Councillor Martin Murray has been designated as the acting leader of the Reform group at Staffordshire County Council until a new permanent leader is elected.

A representative from Staffordshire County Council indicated that the process for nominating a new leader would require approval during a full council meeting, aiming to collaborate with the administration on subsequent steps.

The next full council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 11.

“Our focus will remain on serving the residents of Staffordshire and ensuring uninterrupted service delivery,” the council spokesperson added.

This incident is not the first time Staffordshire’s Reform councillors have faced scrutiny due to their social media activities.

Last month, Peter Mason, a cabinet member for highways, issued an apology for his remarks regarding black women and the police.