Nigel Farage was pictured meeting a Labour Party activist who Reform are now accusing of extremism and linking to chancellor Rachel Reeves.
A picture has emerged of Mr Farage meeting Arshad Khatana at the Ghousia Mosque in Leeds in 2013 when he was leader of Ukip. The pair were both taking part in an interfaith event.
It comes as Labour suspended the activist after Reform made allegations linking him to chancellor Rachel Reeves and highlighting extremist views he is claimed to have expressed.
Reform pointed out that Mr Khatana has been photographed with the chancellor on at least 27 occasions since 2010, but she has made it clear she was unaware of the “abhorrent views” he is accused of sharing.
Meanwhile, Labour have branded Mr Farage a “hypocrite” and suggested he scored an “own goal” on the issue after his meeting with Mr Khatana was revealed.
Mr Khatana is the vice chair of Leeds Council of Mosques and was a Labour Party member in Ms Reeves’ Leeds West constituency until he was suspended.
A Labour source said: “Nigel Farage has been shown up a total hypocrite once again.”
They added: “We’ll take no lectures from Reform. We’ve taken action, and they’ve still not done a thing about Sarah Pochin, who bemoaned seeing ethnic minorities on TV adverts.”
But Reform responded: “That was a chance encounter at a multi-faith meeting with religious leaders from all backgrounds over 12 years ago. Nigel has been photographed with many thousands of different people over a 30-year career in politics.
“There is a vast difference between that and describing the man as a friend, meeting him at least 27 times, having him as a member of your party, going round to his house and following him on social media.
“Will Labour now take action against Rachel Reeves if they are admitting her close friend is an extremist with deeply offensive views?”
According to Reform’s Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick, Mr Khatana shared a video about the Pakistani military, which also glorified terrorists from two terror groups.
It featured Naveed Jatt, from Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is a proscribed terror group in the UK; Aaqib Maulvi, a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, and Riyaz Naikoo, a known terrorist and the operational chief of Hizbul Mujahideen.
He is also accused of saying those who speak against Islam are an “evil gang” that he will help “destroy”.
Reform also claimed he has hosted preachers with “vile” views at his Leeds mosque. In September 2025, it is alleged that he hosted Muhammad Adil Shahzad, who previously said we shouldn’t use Google because it’s “run by the Jews”.
It is also claimed that, in July 2018, he hosted Hassan Haseeb ur-Rehman, who supported an Islamist murderer.
He is also accused of sharing conspiracy theories about 9/11 and an international “lending mafia” backed by “Zionist Rothschild criminals”. He allegedly called for “revenge” against India, asking for “everyone to get together and finish these evils on earth.”
Mr Jenrick hit out at Ms Reeves, who is understood to have visited Mr Khatana’s home.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “These abhorrent views are clearly not shared by the chancellor. She was not aware of these allegations.”
Labour sources pointed to how swift their action was when the allegations came to light about Mr Khatana compared to Reform UK’s refusal to take action against a councillor, Simon Evans, who liked a social media post calling for a Labour MP to be shot or their Hampshire mayor candidate Chris Parry who demanded David Lammy “went home” to Jamaica in a racist social media attack.
Mr Jenrick said: “This is an appalling lack of judgement from Rachel Reeves. She has become very close to a local ‘community leader’ in Leeds in order to save her own political skin. But this man is a fanatic who has repeatedly shown that he holds shocking views.
“Reeves says she is this man’s friend, while he’s said he only votes for her if she does what he demands. This comes at a time of renewed concern about sectarian politics seeping into our national life.
“We don’t want foreign issues and sectarian politics to dictate what happens in our parliament. Reeves must answer for this and explain why she has become so close to this man.”
The Independent has approached Mr Khatana for comment.
