That Reform feels comfortable seeking advice on welfare from such a regime speaks volumes about the values the party holds.
Far-right Reform UK have no issues with taking policy advice from authoritarian dictators like Viktor Orban and his regime, showing just how comfortable the party is in taking guidance from those who have no respect for human rights.
The Times has reported that ‘on a recent trip to Budapest, Reform officials sought advice from aides to Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, on welfare policy, and are enthused by one of their suggestions: lifting the two-child benefit cap only for working mothers.’
Orban has attacked and undermined democratic institutions and attacked the rights of LGBT and minority communities in Hungary. Previously, the European Commission launched a rule-of-law disciplinary procedure against Hungary over the country’s democratic backsliding.
Since coming to power Orban has also cracked down on academics, NGOs and the media, as well as restricting the freedoms of migrants, with organisations like Human Rights Watch condemning the country’s regime for its continued attacks on the rule of law and democratic institutions.
That Reform feels comfortable seeking advice on welfare from such a regime speaks volumes about the values the party holds.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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