A newly elected councillor has resigned from Reform UK after Holocaust denying comments he made on social media were brought to light.
Jay Cooper called the Holocaust a “hoax” and “propaganda” in reply to a comment on a post he had made mourning the death of the American conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
“Heartbreaking. Murdered for having an opinion,” wrote Cooper, sharing photos from Kirk’s funeral.
Another user then asked whether Adolf Hitler also “deserved to die” because he “had an opinion”, to which Cooper 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.”
The comments were revealed by the Liverpool Echo over a week before the May 7 election, but Cooper was not suspended from Reform and stood as the party’s candidate on polling day.
He subsequently won a seat on Sefton Council for Bootle West ward, coming third on the ballot, narrowly behind two Labour candidates.
Speaking in nearby St Helens following the result, party leader Nigel Farage told reporters that Cooper was “not welcome” in Reform.
"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,” he added.
And a Reform spokesperson subsequently told the JC that Cooper has resigned the whip and will now sit as an independent councillor.
The party is also in the process of revoking his membership, they went on.
Cooper, meanwhile, is yet to publicly address his social media history, but is still active on Facebook.
His latest post confirmed that he has now gone on holiday, just days after being elected.
"I am taking a much-needed holiday so I will be sworn in on the 18th see you all then,” he wrote, before posting pictures from Milan.
He also remains listed as a Reform councillor on Sefton Council's website.
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