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| Tory MPs accused of ‘cosying up’ to far-right Hungarian leader Orbán | Tory MPs accused of ‘cosying up’ to far-right Hungarian leader Orbán |
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| Three veteran backbenchers pictured at recent event in Budapest with other members of rightwing grouping | Three veteran backbenchers pictured at recent event in Budapest with other members of rightwing grouping |
| Three Conservative MPs have been condemned after attending a conference hosted by the populist Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, along with representatives from a series of hard right and far-right European parties. | |
| Veteran backbenchers Sir Edward Leigh, Sir Christopher Chope and Ian Liddell-Grainger were pictured in Budapest alongside Orbán and members of other populist or far-right parties including Belgium’s Vlaams Belang, Spain’s Vox and the Sweden Democrats. | Veteran backbenchers Sir Edward Leigh, Sir Christopher Chope and Ian Liddell-Grainger were pictured in Budapest alongside Orbán and members of other populist or far-right parties including Belgium’s Vlaams Belang, Spain’s Vox and the Sweden Democrats. |
| Leigh, who represents Gainsborough in Lincolnshire and has been an MP for 40 years, on Saturday tweeted a photo of himself and his two colleagues with Orbán saying they had been “learning about his country’s effective ways of combating illegal migration”. | Leigh, who represents Gainsborough in Lincolnshire and has been an MP for 40 years, on Saturday tweeted a photo of himself and his two colleagues with Orbán saying they had been “learning about his country’s effective ways of combating illegal migration”. |
| Orbán has been something of a pioneer in Europe of ultra-tough laws on migration, associated with rhetoric about “invasions” that often touches on far-right or sometimes antisemitic tropes. His government passed a law criminalising individuals or groups who help unofficial entrants claim asylum. | Orbán has been something of a pioneer in Europe of ultra-tough laws on migration, associated with rhetoric about “invasions” that often touches on far-right or sometimes antisemitic tropes. His government passed a law criminalising individuals or groups who help unofficial entrants claim asylum. |
| He has also sought to limit LGBTQ+ rights, and has been accused of seizing control of much of the apparatus of state and the media, limiting effective opposition. | He has also sought to limit LGBTQ+ rights, and has been accused of seizing control of much of the apparatus of state and the media, limiting effective opposition. |
| On his own Twitter feed, Orbán posted a photo of himself and the three British MPs among a larger gathering of populist, hard right and far-right MEPs and MPs from a series of countries. | On his own Twitter feed, Orbán posted a photo of himself and the three British MPs among a larger gathering of populist, hard right and far-right MEPs and MPs from a series of countries. |
| With Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary, learning about his country’s effective ways of combating illegal migration. pic.twitter.com/NE3HmCicSC | |
| The presence of Leigh, along with Chope, who became the MP for Christchurch in Dorset in 1997 after losing his Southampton Itchen seat in 1992 after a nine-year stint, and Liddell-Grainger, an MP since 2001 and the member for Bridgwater and West Somerset, highlights the Conservatives’ wider links with such groups. | The presence of Leigh, along with Chope, who became the MP for Christchurch in Dorset in 1997 after losing his Southampton Itchen seat in 1992 after a nine-year stint, and Liddell-Grainger, an MP since 2001 and the member for Bridgwater and West Somerset, highlights the Conservatives’ wider links with such groups. |
| The UK MPs were attending a gathering of the European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance, or EC/DA, a rightwing grouping in the Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly, a separate body to the EU’s parliament, of which the UK is still a member. | The UK MPs were attending a gathering of the European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance, or EC/DA, a rightwing grouping in the Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly, a separate body to the EU’s parliament, of which the UK is still a member. |
| Formed in 1970, with the Tories as founder members, this was initially a centre-right grouping, but has become increasingly populist. Other member parties include the Danish People’s party, the far-right Finns party, and Greek Solution, as well as Orbán’s Fidesz. Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party was a member, when Russia was part of the Council of Europe. | Formed in 1970, with the Tories as founder members, this was initially a centre-right grouping, but has become increasingly populist. Other member parties include the Danish People’s party, the far-right Finns party, and Greek Solution, as well as Orbán’s Fidesz. Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party was a member, when Russia was part of the Council of Europe. |
| Liddell-Grainger is currently the chair of the EC/DA, with about a dozen Tory MPs in total being members. | Liddell-Grainger is currently the chair of the EC/DA, with about a dozen Tory MPs in total being members. |
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| Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrats’ Cabinet Office spokesperson, said: “This is a shameful image for the Conservative party. Conservative MPs should not be cosying up to a far-right leader who has enforced homophobic and anti-democratic policies. | Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrats’ Cabinet Office spokesperson, said: “This is a shameful image for the Conservative party. Conservative MPs should not be cosying up to a far-right leader who has enforced homophobic and anti-democratic policies. |
| “The British public will be shocked to see the Conservative party now learning lessons from the likes of Orbán. This is a new low for Conservative MPs.” | “The British public will be shocked to see the Conservative party now learning lessons from the likes of Orbán. This is a new low for Conservative MPs.” |
| Leigh, Chope and Liddell-Grainger were contacted for comment. | Leigh, Chope and Liddell-Grainger were contacted for comment. |