A prominent journalist has accused Nigel Farage of fostering a hostile environment towards people of colour, following incidents involving a Reform UK council leader expelled for making racist remarks. Sangita Myska, whose career includes presenting for the BBC and LBC Radio, reported that Ian Cooper, the former leader of Staffordshire County Council, directed racial slurs at her, stating she was “English only in your dreams” due to her South Asian heritage.
Cooper’s expulsion from Reform UK occurred on October 13, 2023, after he faced allegations of derogatory comments about several public figures. These include calling London Mayor Sadiq Khan a “narcissistic Pakistani” and making inflammatory comments about migrants. He also reportedly targeted Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a British-born lawyer and activist, with a social media post suggesting she should “F’d off back to Nigeria” and questioned the legitimacy of migrant parliamentarians.
According to Myska, Cooper’s attacks were part of a broader trend that she attributes to Farage’s leadership. She stated, “Without a shadow of a doubt, Nigel Farage’s track record is emboldening party members and now elected councillors to express views that were once considered completely unacceptable in mainstream political discourse.” Myska expressed concern that the culture within Reform UK has allowed racist rhetoric to flourish without repercussions.
Labour MP Sarah Edwards characterized the social media posts as indicative of “deeply disturbing white supremacist views.” In a statement, Myska emphasized that Farage and the Reform UK leadership are responsible for cultivating this environment.
Cooper’s comments toward Myska were made shortly before he ascended to his leadership role in Staffordshire. In a post to Myska’s X account in April, he wrote, “You are neither ethnically, culturally or historically English. All you have is a piece of paper entitling you to British citizenship.” These comments have raised serious concerns about the normalization of such views in British politics, particularly against the backdrop of Britain’s political climate since the Brexit referendum in 2016.
The backlash against Farage intensified recently, as 28 of his former school contemporaries at Dulwich College came forward, stating they had witnessed “deeply offensive racist or antisemitic behaviour” by him. In response, Farage claimed he has never acted with malice regarding race or antisemitism. Myska criticized this response, arguing that any normal political leader would step aside amid such accusations pending an investigation.
She noted, “It’s dangerous because it’s setting a precedent,” adding that the situation for people of colour in public life is worsening. Myska described the current political atmosphere as “unbelievably toxic,” where daily racist abuse is becoming normalized. She emphasized that while legitimate concerns about immigration exist, they are often exploited to target individuals who are not white British.
Myska remarked, “This guy [Cooper] thinks he’s entitled to attack me in this way… and the antecedent to this can be traced right back to Brexit.” She asserted that the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding Brexit has created an atmosphere that continues to affect people of colour in the UK.
Despite the serious nature of these allegations, Reform UK has yet to issue a public condemnation of Cooper’s posts. The party stated, “Following an investigation into the failure to declare social media accounts during the candidate vetting process, Cllr Ian Cooper has had his membership of Reform UK revoked.”
As the fallout from these events continues, the broader implications for political discourse in the UK remain significant, highlighting the need for accountability and a reassessment of the cultural norms within political parties.
