Reform UK candidate who claimed the Holocaust was a hoax has won a seat in the local elections

Bootle West voters have elected a Reform UK candidate who previously claimed the Holocaust was a “hoax” and “propaganda” to Sefton Council.

Jay Leslie Cooper won one of three available seats in the ward with 705 votes and will now sit as a councillor alongside Labour representatives Jim Conalty and Dan McKee.

Before the election, reporting by the Liverpool ECHO revealed Cooper had repeatedly shared extremist conspiracy theories and inflammatory posts across social media, including comments denying the Holocaust.

Responding to a Facebook comment about Adolf Hitler last year, Cooper wrote: “The Hallocaust is a hoax. There wasn’t even 6 million Jews in Europe at the time. Propaganda.”

The comments sparked outrage and led to questions being raised over Reform UK’s vetting procedures for candidates. Reform UK reportedly said at the time it was “looking into” the allegations.

Cooper’s social media activity also included a series of conspiracy theories surrounding the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Titan submersible implosion and false claims linked to the Southport murders.

Following the killing of three young girls in Southport, Cooper blamed the Labour government for the attack, writing: “The three young girls in Southport slaughtered by the hands of Labour should have been the turning point.”

In another post, Cooper shared anti-immigration content featuring Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a hijab alongside claims that Labour was “importing voters” and bringing “terror” into Britain.

He also spread panic over a false viral rumour claiming schools in Merseyside were under threat, urging parents to remove their children from classrooms despite admitting the claims were a hoax.

Cooper additionally promoted conspiracy content alleging 9/11 was an “inside job” and suggested the fatal Titan submersible implosion was being used to “distract” the public from hidden events.

The newly elected Reform councillor has also publicly backed privatising the NHS, saying the health service “needs to be privatised” and arguing people should pay to use it so they “wouldn’t abuse it.”

His social media activity further included reposting material from The S*n, a newspaper still widely boycotted across Merseyside over its disgraceful coverage of the Hillsborough disaster.

Cooper’s election victory is likely to intensify scrutiny on Reform UK as the party continues to face repeated controversies over candidates accused of racism, extremism and spreading conspiracy theories.