The leader of Staffordshire county council, representing Reform UK, is at the centre of a racism scandal following the emergence of a series of alleged social media posts. Ian Cooper, who also served as Nigel Farage's parliamentary candidate in Tamworth, is accused of making deeply offensive remarks about high-profile figures including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and lawyer Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu.
Alleged Offensive Remarks and Targets
According to evidence seen by the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate and shared with the Guardian, Cooper's alleged posts contain a litany of abusive and racist comments. In one message from February, he is said to have described Sadiq Khan as a "narcissistic Pakistani" and labelled London a "3rd world shit hole".
In an April post directed at broadcaster Sangita Myska, Cooper allegedly stated she was English "only in your dreams", adding she was not ethnically, culturally, or historically English. He also appears to have attacked British-born lawyer and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu in a post from three years ago, suggesting she should "F'd off back to Nigeria".
Further posts allegedly seen by investigators show Cooper claiming that "no foreign national or first generation migrant should be allowed to sit in parliament", a comment seemingly aimed at Justice Secretary David Lammy. In another, he reportedly asserted that migrants from the "global majority south" were "intent on colonising the UK, destroying all that has gone before".
Reform UK's Response and Wider Party Issues
In response to the revelations, Reform UK confirmed it is undertaking an "urgent internal investigation over Councillor Cooper's non-disclosure of social media accounts". This scandal follows the suspension of two other party figures last month for offensive messages.
Laura Anne Jones, the party's sole member of the Welsh Senedd, was found to have used a racial slur, while Lancashire councillor Tom Pickup was suspended for derogatory remarks about Keir Starmer in a WhatsApp group where members allegedly called for "mass Islam genocide".
Cooper, who was elected in May 2024 as Reform UK won numerous council seats, had previously defended fellow councillor Peter Mason, who criticised a statue of a "fat arsed black woman". In an email to colleagues seen by the Independent, Cooper argued Mason was under "targeted political attack".
Condemnation and Calls for Accountability
Gregory Davis, a senior researcher at Hope Not Hate, said the posts painted a picture of a "deeply bigoted" individual tapped into far-right terminology. "It's particularly shocking that someone in a leadership position has not been vetted sufficiently – or perhaps Farage and his party think this is an acceptable way to behave?" Davis stated.
The allegations raise serious questions about vetting processes within Reform UK and the conduct of elected officials. Cooper, listed as the interim chair of the party's Tamworth branch, now faces intense scrutiny over his fitness for office as the internal investigation proceeds.
