Reform candidate wins Sefton Council seat amid scrutiny over Holocaust-hoax comments
A Reform UK candidate has won a seat on Sefton Council while facing scrutiny over earlier social media comments in which he allegedly described the Holocaust as a hoax.
Jay Cooper won one of three seats in Bootle West ward with 705 votes.
The comments under review include a deleted Facebook post from last September in which Cooper responded to another user by saying: "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." Other posts attributed to Cooper have also drawn attention, including claims linking Labour to the Southport attacks and a reposted AI image of Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a hijab with anti-Labour text.
A January 2024 video repost on his profile suggested the 9/11 attacks were not real.
The row matters because it comes immediately after an election win and raises questions about the vetting and public profile of a newly elected councillor.
It also adds to scrutiny of Reform UK as it expands its local government presence.
