Get you up to speed: Reform candidate who labelled Holocaust a ‘hoax’ secures local election seat
Reform UK councillor Jay Cooper, who alleged the Holocaust was a hoax, has faced backlash following his election to Sefton Council.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has stated that newly elected councillor Jay Cooper, known for inflammatory remarks, is “not welcome” in the party following his controversial comments.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stated that newly elected councillor Jay Cooper is not welcome in the party due to his controversial social media remarks.
What we know so far
A Reform UK councillor who reportedly claimed the Holocaust was a hoax has secured a seat in the local elections. Jay Cooper triumphed in the Bootle West ward of Sefton Council with 705 votes, drawing criticism for his inflammatory social media posts.
Cooper’s comments have sparked outrage, with his earlier social media activity particularly scrutinised. In a now-deleted Facebook post, he controversially referred to the death of US activist Charlie Kirk as “Heartbreaking. Murdered for having an opinion,” according to the Liverpool Echo.
After his election, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage indicated that such views would not be tolerated within the party. Farage stated, “Do we welcome people with these ideas? No, we absolutely don’t,” and added that Cooper was “not welcome.” The party has faced mounting pressure to distance itself from Cooper’s remarks as it navigates the fallout from his election.
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Reform candidate who called Holocaust a ‘hoax’ wins seat in local election | News UK
A Reform UK candidate who allegedly said the Holocaust was a hoax has won a seat in the local elections.
Jay Cooper, who won one of three seats in the Sefton Council for the Bootle West ward, has been accused of spewing out conspiracy theories and labelling the genocide of millions of Jewish people ‘propaganda.’
The earlier social media comments made by the newly elected councillor from Merseyside Reform have come under scrutiny following his win with 705 votes.
In a since-deleted Facebook post made last September, Cooper referred to the death of US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk with caption ‘Heartbreaking. Murdered for having an opinion,’ the Liverpool Echo reported.
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A comment made by another user said that Adolf Hitler had an opinion and asked ‘did he deserve to die?’
Coope responded: ‘I don’t agree with him murdering innocent people. But the Hallocaust [sic] is a hoax.
‘There wasn’t [sic] even 6 million Jews in Europe at the time. Propaganda.’
He has made a series of other conspiracy theory-fuelled comments online since, including claiming a link between the Labour government and the Southport attacks.
A post made in February, which is still online, said along with a link to a poll: ‘These polls have got to be wrong about Liverpool how are people in the right mind still thinking it’s acceptable to vote for Labour.
‘The 3 young girls in Southport slaughtered by the hands of Labour should have been the turning point. Makes me ashamed to be from Liverpool.’
In March, he reposted an AI image from a local page depicting Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a hijab with text with it: ‘Labour have given up winning elections with policies. They focus on demographics instead.
They import votes because the public hate their policies. Import the 3rd world and bribe them with taxpayer benefits.Terror comes with it and they don’t care.’
Reform’s leader Nigel Farage hinted that the newly elected councillor would not be welcome in the party.
Farage told the Echo today: ‘When you are putting up 5,000 people, do some slip through the net because they don’t tell you their social media handles or tell you the truth? Yes. Do we welcome people with these ideas? No, we absolutely don’t.’
When told that Cooper was now elected, he said he ‘could not speak to that’ before adding ‘But I tell you what, he’s not welcome.’
WTX approached Cooper and Reform UK for a comment.