These are the individuals attempting to gather data, track digital footprints, and publish information about their targets. We will continue to investigate and report on their activities.

Worryingly, the group’s internal Signal chat includes children. We identified at least two members under the age of 16 who have expressed extreme political views online.

Another member of the Signal group, who goes by the pseudonym “Orlunu” or “Orluntwo” has been identified as Alex Davies, a native of Jersey.

On Discord he repeatedly expressed enjoyment of “loli” anime, and on his current X account he suggested that Hitler would be his preferred leader.

Michael Reiners’ deleted account included degrading depictions of women, unsolicited sexual messages, and repeated calls for the deportation of 15 million “browns”.

Also involved is Michael Reiners, a trained barrister who has presented himself as an analyst of free speech and immigration. However, HOPE not hate has learned he has also used a pseudonymous account as an outlet for racism and sexualised misogyny.

Smith claims the unit has collected info on more than 10,000 “ideological enemies, fifth columnists and subversive types”. He has attempted to build a team of “list builders” using Signal and discussions about data-collection tools.

At the heart of the project is Ashley Dean Smith, a former member of the fascist Homeland Party who has described himself as a “blood and soil Ethnonationalist”. A private group run by Smith mixes self-help PDFs with far-right material, including Holocaust denial.

Sign up to Reform Watch: hopenothate.org.uk/reform-watch/

Cooper joins a long list of Reform UK councillors who have been exposed for their extreme views. It’s particularly shocking that someone in a leadership position has not been vetted sufficiently - or perhaps Farage and his party think this is an acceptable way to behave?

This is not the first embarrassment to stem from Reform’s Staffordshire contingent. In January, the Staffordshire County Organiser, David Hyden-Milakovic, resigned after HOPE not hate exposed his links to the neo-Nazi Patriotic Alternative group.

Cooper also referred to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as a “narcissistic Pakistani” and suggested that the British MP David Lammy should not be allowed to sit in the House of Commons, despite both men being born in London.

The picture painted by Cooper’s social media posts is of a man who is deeply bigoted and tapped into far-right media and terminology. His animosity to immigration appears to stem from a belief in hateful conspiracy theories.

Reform UK are on the rise, but across the UK, people are organising to hold them to account and push back. Join us: secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/157246/...

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