If the mask had slipped beforehand, it’s now come off completely. Suella Braverman, one of the UK’s most contentious Home Secretaries in recent times, is set to share a platform with Hungary’s autocratic leader, Viktor Orban.
The premier of the landlocked state has been accused, among many others things, or ‘eroding democracy’ in his homeland. The far-right figure has ruled Hungary for the last 14 years, governing with an authoritarian fist over the last decade or so.
Orban’s views on race and immigration have also caused uproar in years gone by. He is also seen as one of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies on the European continent – making him something of a pariah among other EU leaders.
He will be addressing the upcoming National Conservatism Conference in April as a keynote speaker. Braverman’s name also appears on the bill, and she is set to deliver her latest diatribe from the same stage as Mr. Orban.
The senior Tory, who was banished from Rishi Sunak’s government late last year, is likely to deliver a stinging rebuke of the PM – just weeks before the polls open for local elections across the country. The London mayoral vote also takes place on 2 May.
Her fiery rhetoric could hammer another nail into Sunak’s coffin, with pressure growing on the Tory leader to call a General Election as soon as possible. Braverman’s presence at NatCon is also likely to cause more headaches for the party.
Last month, the 49-day Prime Minister Liz Truss fraternised with extreme-right figures in the US, drawing disgust from observers back home. She even gave an interview to Steve Bannon, blaming the presence of a ‘deep state’ for cutting her premiership short.
Braverman’s date with demagoguery is set to lumber the Tories with more existential, identity-based questions.
