Who is Sajjad Raja? Reform UK candidate under-fire for saying 'from river to the sea

A Reform UK candidate for the Leeds local elections is under investigation after a video showed him chanting a controversial slogan at a 2024 protest linked to Gaza, according to The Times (UK).Professor Muhammad Sajjad Raja is described as a highly educated social and political figure and has been selected as Reform UK’s candidate for the Moortown ward in Leeds ahead of the 7 May local elections.The issue centres around a video from June 2024, where Raja took part in a demonstration organised by the Workers Party of Britain. In the footage, he is seen leading part of the march and chanting slogans including “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, along with “end apartheid” and “Israel is a terrorist state”.Raja had shared a 23-minute video of the protest on his TikTok account, stating that he had led a demonstration in Leeds “in solidarity with the people of Palestine”. He was also seen holding a Workers Party sign reading “For Britain, for Gaza”.Reform UK, a right-wing party led by Nigel Farage, began as the Brexit Party in 2018 before rebranding in 2021 following the UK’s exit from the European Union.Reform UK said it is looking into the matter after the footage emerged. The slogan has been widely debated in UK politics. Party leader Nigel Farage has described it as a “hate slogan” that calls for “the abolition of the state of Israel”, while Reform’s economics spokesman Robert Jenrick has previously called it “genocidal”.Raja has a background of activism beyond this protest. He has previously campaigned with the Workers Party of Britain, a fringe left-wing group founded by former Labour MP George Galloway, which supports wealth redistribution and opposes Nato.His political journey has included multiple affiliations. Raja stood as a Conservative candidate in the 2023 local elections in Leeds, where he finished third. He later aligned with Reform UK, stating: “I support Reform UK because I want to fix the broken Britain and I stand with Nigel Farage because he is the only man who can clear up the mess now.”Reform UK said its investigation is ongoing. Raja has been approached for comment.