The leader of Staffordshire County Council, representing Reform UK, is facing an urgent internal investigation after being accused of posting a series of racist and bigoted comments on social media.
Allegations of Racist and Bigoted Remarks
Anti-racism organisation Hope Not Hate has published a detailed article alleging that Councillor Ian Cooper, who represents Perrycrofts in Tamworth, used accounts on YouTube and X to make numerous offensive remarks. The posts reportedly targeted prominent Black and Asian public figures.
The allegations centre on activity from accounts believed to belong to Cllr Cooper. One YouTube account, @iancooper9000, is said to have told barrister and academic Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu to "F off back to Nigeria" in a comment from three years ago, while also mocking her surname.
More recently, just two weeks before May's local elections, an X account named @cooper_ian57035 allegedly challenged television and radio host Sangita Myska on her English identity. The account reportedly stated that all she had "is a piece of paper entitling you to British citizenship".
Further Comments and Political Fallout
The same social media accounts are also accused of branding London Mayor Sadiq Khan a "narcissistic Pakistani" and suggesting that Labour MP David Lammy should not be allowed to hold a Parliamentary seat.
In another YouTube comment, the account @iancooper9000 purportedly claimed that people arriving from the "Global Majority South" intended to "colonise the UK, destroying all that has gone before".
Hope Not Hate stated that the posts paint a picture of "a man who is deeply bigoted and tapped into far-right media and terminology". The group began its scrutiny after a report from the Reform Exposed account on X, which identified Cllr Cooper as a 'top fan' of the Facebook page The European Race.
Urgent Investigation and Calls for Resignation
Reform UK, which saw a sweeping triumph in Staffordshire's local elections in May 2025, confirmed it has launched an "urgent internal investigation". A party spokesperson clarified the probe is focused on Cllr Cooper's "non-disclosure of social media accounts".
The controversy emerges just weeks after another Reform Staffordshire councillor, cabinet member Peter Mason, apologised for making derogatory remarks about black women and the police before his election.
In response, nine Labour MPs from Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire have jointly called for Cllr Cooper to step down. The group, which includes Gareth Snell, Allison Gardner, David Williams, and Adam Jogee, issued a collective statement.
"Ian Cooper has, by sharing this kind of material, exposed his far-right and racist opinions," the MPs declared. "He should now resign the leadership and his seat. No wonder he was reluctant to take action against Cllr Peter Mason given his own racist and repugnant views. Staffordshire deserves better than this outright bigotry."
Cllr Cooper has been contacted for a response to the allegations.
