On a visit to Staffordshire to congratulate his party's new councillors, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage branded the authority under the previous Conservative administration as "very woke".
He warned council workers involved in climate change policy or diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policy "it may be time to go and look for a different job".
Responding to these comments, Cooper said climate change would be treated as a "legal obligation to fulfil until that changes".
His approach to DEI was a "merit and ability" recruitment process, he said.
Staffordshire's next leader may be a new name to many voters in the county, but he has a background in politics.
Formerly a Conservative, he worked as campaign director for veteran Tory MP Ken Clarke in the noughties. He left the Tory party in 2011 and joined Reform UK in 2022.
His background is in printing and he started his career as an apprentice in his hometown of Nottingham.
He lives in Tamworth, where he won his ward, Perrycrofts, and stood as the Reform UK parliamentary candidate in the 2023 by-election and 2024 general election, coming third in both.
Cooper will be formally made leader at the next full meeting of the local authority on May 22.
