Michael Gove refuses to condemn far-right Hungarian leader Viktor Orban

Environment secretary’s remarks come amid escalating row over Tory MEP’s vote in European Parliament to stop Mr Orban being censured for widely-condemned behaviour

Cabinet minister Michael Gove has refused to condemn Viktor Orban as he was grilled over the decision by Conservative MEPs to oppose a measure to censure the far-right Hungarian government.

Mr Gove said he had “views” but was not going to be drawn on individual European leaders - leading critics to suggest the environment secretary had “complete moral bankruptcy”.

His remarks came amid an escalating row over the Tory MEPs' vote in the European Parliament earlier this week to stop the Hungarian leader being censured for widely-condemned behaviour, such as violating press freedoms and waging an antisemitic campaign against a leading Jewish businessman.

Pressed on the vote in favour of Mr Orban on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Gove attempted to reject the suggestion that Tory MEPs were supporting the far-right leader, and were rather refusing to interfere in the domestic affairs of another member state.

“No, that's not true,” he said. “No it's not true. It's critically important that we realise this. There was a vote in the European Parliament but it's a longstanding principle of a number of MEPs from different countries and different parties not to believe that the European Parliament should interfere in or censure the internal democracy of a particular country.”

He told the programme that 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 EU”.

“My view is, the British are traditionally accused of playing divide and rule and picking off individual countries - but I'm not going down the route, I have views... but I'm not going to be drawn on my views about individual European leaders. ”

Responding to Mr Gove's remarks, the Labour MP David Lammy said: “Gove on Marr says the UK should show 'generosity of spirit' to the far-right, antisemitic and Islamophobic Hungarian PM, a few days after Tory MEPs backed the Orban in the European Parliament. Complete moral bankruptcy.”

The Tories were the only governing conservative party in western Europe to vote en masse in support of Mr Orban, who lost the vote by a two-thirds majority, 448-197, to start the Article 7 process against Hungary.

It could see the country stripped of its voting rights at the European Council.

After the vote last week, Mr Orban, who was arriving in Strasbourg, heaped praise on the British government, telling journalists: “We would like to have a fair Brexit because we love the British and because we cooperated well - and you deserve a good deal, a fair deal.”