Cllr Jay Cooper breaks silence on comments unearthed by ECHO investigation as he quits Nigel Farage’s party
11:22, 12 May 2026Updated 11:54, 12 May 2026
(Image: Facebook)
A newly elected Merseyside councillor has apologised for past comments in which he called the Holocaust “a hoax” and “propaganda” and has dramatically resigned from Reform UK, the party he was elected on behalf of last week.
Cllr Jay Cooper was elected to serve the Bootle West ward at last week’s Sefton Council local elections. He won 705 votes while standing for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. He will join Labour councillors Jim Conalty and Dan McKee in representing the ward.
His election win came despite an ECHO investigation finding that Cllr Cooper had made comments questioning the truth behind the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were murdered, on his social media accounts.
Cllr Cooper had poreviously reposted an article about the fatal shooting of American conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on Facebook in September last year saying: “Heartbreaking. Murdered for having an opinion.”
In response to a comment which asked: “[Adolf] Hitler had an (opinion) too; did he deserve to die?”, Cooper said: “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.”
Following the councillor’s election win, the ECHO asked Reform UK leader Nigel Farage if he was comfortable having a councillor elected under his party banner who had expressed such vile views.
New Bootle West councillor Jay Cooper(Image: Facebook)
Responding, Mr Farage told this newspaper: “Do we welcome people with these ideas? No, we absolutely don’t.”
On Monday, the ECHO reported that following his election victory, Cllr Cooper announced he was going on holiday.
In a story posted on his social media account, sharing the ECHO story reporting his win, Cllr Cooper said: “I am taking a much needed holiday so I will be sworn in on the 18th see you all then.”
But now, after the ECHO again asked about his status within the party, Cllr Cooper has issued a statement in which he apologises for his previous comments and confirms he has resigned from Reform UK.
The statement, published on his facebook page, said: “I apologise this has took 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 first hand 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.”
Confirming his resignation from the party he was elected for, he Cllr Cooper added: “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.”
Cllr Cooper’s resignation takes Reform’s numbers on Sefton Council down to four, with the Bootle West councillor set to sit as an independent. Labour has a small majority after last week’s results, holding 36 seats, while the resurgent Liberal Democrats have 17.
There are five other independent councillors, all grouped under the Lydiate and Maghill Community Independents and the Greens have three councillors.