A Reform councillor who claimed the Holocaust was a “hoax” has apologised for his comments and quit the party just days after being elected.
Jay Cooper was elected to represent the Bootle West ward on Sefton Council in Merseyside at last week’s local elections, winning 705 votes standing for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
The councillor last year made comments, originally reported last month by the Liverpool Echo, about the Holocaust on social media after he had shared an article about the fatal shooting of US commentator Charlie Kirk. He wrote: “Heartbreaking. Murdered for having an opinion.”
In response to a comment that asked: “[Adolf] Hitler had an [opinion] too; did he deserve to die?”, Cllr Cooper said he did not agree with the murder of innocent people, but he called the Holocaust a “hoax” and described it as “propaganda”, the Echo reported.
On a visit to Merseyside following his party’s seismic gains in last week’s elections, Mr Farage on Friday said that Cllr Cooper was “not welcome” within Reform.
Cllr Cooper has now deleted the posts from his public Facebook page, and on Tuesday issued an apology for his comments, saying he had resigned from the party but would continue to represent his ward as an independent councillor.
He wrote on his public Facebook page: “I apologise this has took (sic) so long. I want to start by addressing comments I made regarding the Holocaust last year.
“The Holocaust was real. I was not denying the existence of the camps or the systematic murder carried out by the Nazi regime.
“I have visited Auschwitz multiple times and have seen firsthand the conditions and historical evidence of those atrocities.
“My comments were poorly expressed and have understandably caused concern and upset. I was not denying the suffering of millions of victims or the crimes committed by the Nazis.
“I accept that my words failed to reflect the seriousness and sensitivity this subject demands, and for that I sincerely apologise. I would also like to apologise to anyone who was offended or hurt by my comments.
“I take full responsibility for my remarks. As a result, I have decided today to resign from Reform UK and continue serving as an independent representative.
“The people of Bootle West voted for me to be their voice, and I remain committed to serving them honestly and tirelessly. I will be here to listen and be the voice of my constituents. I want to thank everyone who placed their trust in me. Too many people in Bootle still feel ignored, left behind, and unheard.
“I will continue working every day to justify the confidence shown in me, while also earning the respect of those who did not vote for me.
“I hope, in time, my actions and service to the community will speak louder than this mistake.”
The Independent has approached Reform UK and Cllr Cooper for comment.
The BBC reported Reform confirmed Cllr Cooper had resigned and said his membership of the party had been revoked.
