I was born in the East End of London in 1964 to a very working class family and moved out to Essex as a boy. I left school at 16 with a basic education and immediately began work in the City. I’m married with children. The youngest of which is 11 years old.
I worked for a few years in employment agencies like Brook Street and then gravitated toward a personnel job before it was called HR. I worked for local government, non-ministerial central government and then into the private sector. I built a career in HR at senior level, culminating in my role at law firm CMS looking after the central and Eastern European offices.
In March 2025 I was summarily dismissed by CMS after another member of staff had seen some tweets of mine on X that they felt were Islamophobic and homophobic. I had simply shared my views online that I was Islam critical and gender critical. This happened while I was running as a candidate for the local elections in May of the same year. I had tweeted that I was the Reform UK candidate for Boston and Coastal in Lincolnshire, which is where I live.
I was suspended by CMS on March 3rd and was locked out immediately from the CMS IT system. I was informed it was because I was running as a candidate for Reform, that I should have sought permission from the firm and that I had made certain tweets that the firm deemed inappropriate. I was dismissed on March 7th 2025 after no formal investigation but a short hearing. At the hearing I stood by my tweets.
Coincidentally, or not, in the same week CMS was contacted by followers of the X account Reform Party UK Exposed, telling staff that I was running for Reform UK and that I shouldn’t be employed by CMS with the views I had. Reform Party UK Exposed had made the link between my X account and my LinkedIn account and contacted my employer. When senior CMS staff realised that the press had picked this up I believe they panicked and to stop any further focus on the firm pre-determined the sanction placed upon me. CMS even named me in its response to the press. CMS also told the press it had taken “decisive action as soon as we learnt about the nature of the offensive remarks, including clarifying that the views do not represent those of the firm” before I had been dismissed.
Not only did I lose my livelihood, I also lost my opportunity to carry on running for Reform UK. Reform UK also panicked at the press coverage and I was told to step down pending an investigation. The individual who took my place won in a landslide. The investigation by Reform acknowledged that some of the language in the tweets may not have been to the party’s liking but I had already passed vetting and the tweets were already known about. Therefore my suspension from the party was lifted and I was told I could run again after 12 months should the opportunity arise.
I now seek to claim against CMS for unfair dismissal due to my political, religious and gender critical beliefs, all of which I believe are protected. I also believe that if I win it will open the door for more people like me who have had their whole lives turned upside down by heavy-handed employers who pander to the woke agenda.
I do not believe that Islam has benefited our country in any way and I do not believe that it is compatible with the West. I also believe that there are only two sexes. I have nothing against gay men, lesbians or bisexuals, who know me as a friend and ally. I will not pretend that a man can be a woman or a woman can be a man just because they say so. I come from a traditional Christian background.
CMS operates offices all around the world. I looked after the Central and Eastern European offices dealing in all things HR and labour law. Those offices hold a more Right-wing leaning political base. When CMS rebadges its logo in rainbows and tells everyone how inclusive it is and that DEI is what makes it the ‘Relationship Law Firm’ it fails to mention that the offices in Hungary, the Middle East and Indonesia won’t change their logos. Those offices won’t participate in Pride Month. Those offices have more prejudice than I do and yet they are still compatible with the “views of the firm”.
Donate to Dan’s crowd funder for his legal action against CMS here.
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I have a great deal of sympathy for Dan Cooper and I really dislike the policing of people’s opinions.
BUT …. this article doesn’t tell us WHAT his tweets actually said so it’s impossible to judge if they were “beyond the pale” or if it was just confected outrage by the lefty twitter mob.
It also doesn’t tell us whether his contract with CMS required him to inform them that he intended running for public office and had specific restrictions on an employee’s use of social media, which he broke.
When I was still working as a Civil Servant – several years pre-Referendum – I was a UKIP activist and stood for Council elections. I complied with all the CS procedures necessary to do that. If I hadn’t, I too would have been at risk of dismissal.
I realise that times have changed in the last 14 or so years and policing of political and social opinions has been weaponised by the Wokerati. I’m just saying that it would be nice to have the whole story.
I’ve made a small contribution to his fund because he deserves the opportunity to make his case.
These are valuable points which will have to be considered. With regard to the rainbow logo I am curious to know if the teaching of Islam (referenced by the press report) is compatible with the “views of the firm”, CMS, and if so how?
Power to your elbow.
Membership of the FSU is now a basic essential of life in the UK.
As someone that works in the NHS and cannot be my normal self at work. I consider the membership worth every penny. Should I not follow along with certain requirements as enthusiastically as people would like.
That’s one of many reasons why I am so pleased that I am retired from the NHS, where I nursed for 37 years.
AttemptIng to evaluate the tenets of Islam juxtaposed with the eradication of the two human sexes or sexual misappropriation actually does my head in. I will not be bringing any business to CMS. Vote Reform.