Gove refuses to condemn Hungary’s authoritarian PM

Michael Gove has refused to condemn Viktor Orban, as the Conservatives faced a backlash for opposing European condemnation of the controversial Hungarian prime minister.

Tory MEPs opposed a censure motion against Hungary in the European Parliament earlier this week after years of criticism that Mr Orban is anti-democratic, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic.

Mr Gove said he had "views" about Mr Orban but was "not going to be drawn" into giving an assessment of individual leaders.

He told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show he did not believe that "individual criticisms of the kind you are understandably tempting me to make necessarily help us in ensuring we get both solidarity on the issues that count and the best deal for Britain as we leave the European Union".

MEPs voted overwhelmingly to back a report recommending action against the Hungarian government over its electoral system, media freedoms, independence of the judiciary, mistreatment of asylum seekers and refugees, and limits on the functioning of non-governmental organisations.

Mr Gove said it was "not true" the Conservatives supported Mr Orban despite Tory MEPs opposing the measures.

"It's a long-standing principle of a number of MEPs from different countries and from different parties not to believe that the European Parliament should interfere in or censure the internal democracy of a particular country," he said.

Tory peer Lord Finkelstein described the move by Conservative MEPs as "very distressing" and it was condemned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Muslim Council of Britain.

A source told the Press Association Mr Gove's "instinct" was to be "critical" of Mr Orban.