Investigation launched into alleged online racist comments by leader of Staffordshire Council
An investigation has been launched into the social media activity of Staffordshire County Council's leader after it was alleged he made racist comments online.
Activist group Hope Not Hate claimed to have found racist posts on an account on X allegedly linked to Tamworth - Perrycrofts Councillor Ian Cooper, including one about foreign secretary David Lammy which read: "No foreign national or first generation migrant should be allowed to sit in Parliament."
The Reform Party confirmed it was investigating the claims, with a Reform UK spokesman saying: "We are undergoing an urgent internal investigation over Councillor Cooper's non-disclosure of social media accounts."
Additionally, Jacob Collier, MP for Burton and Uttoxeter, Josh Newbury, MP for Cannock Chase, Dave Robertson, MP for Lichfield, Adam Jogee, MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, Leigh Ingham, MP for Stafford, Gareth Snell, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, David Williams, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, Allison Gardner, MP for Stoke-on-Trent South and Sarah Edwards, MP for Tamworth have all signed a statement calling on Councillor Cooper to resign.
They said in a statement: "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.
"No wonder he was reluctant to take action against councillor Peter Mason given his own racist and repugnant views. Staffordshire deserves better than this outright bigotry."
It's not the first time a Staffordshire Reform councillor has faced scrutiny over their social media activity, with Cabinet member for highways Peter Mason forced to apologise last month for his choice of words over posts he wrote about black women and the policeover posts he wrote about black women and the police.
Additionally, in January, the Staffordshire County Organiser, David Hyden-Milakovic, resigned after Hope Not Hate exposed his links to the neo-Nazi Patriotic Alternative group.
Cooper's alleged activity on Facebook has also come under scrutiny after a group called Reform UK Exposed claimed he was a top fan of a page called The European Race, which promotes white supremacy, with a top fan being someone who has high engagement with a Facebook page.
The leader of Staffordshire Council's Conservative group, Philip White, said: "A man who is a 'top fan' of a white supremacist Facebook group is completely unfit for public office and he should resign immediately."
Councillor Cooper has been approached for a comment.
