May urged to ban far-Right Hungarian MP from staging rally in Britain: Jewish groups and anti-fascist campaigners lobby Home Secretary

Gabor Vona leads nationalist Jobbik party that is accused of anti-Semitism

He is set to speak to ex-patriots at the political event in London on Sunday

Theresa May faced calls last night to ban a Hungarian far-right politician from staging a political rally in Britain this weekend.

Gabor Vona is leader of the nationalist Jobbik party which is accused of anti-Semitism and fuelling hatred against Jewish and Roma communities.

He is set to speak to ex-patriots at the political event in London on Sunday, a day before Holocaust Memorial Day.

Message of hate: Chairman of the nationalist party of the Hungarian Parliament, the JOBBIK's, Gabor Vona delivers a speech during a demonstration of the nationalist party in Budapest

Jewish groups, anti-fascist campaigners and politicians are lobbying the Home Secretary to prevent Mr Vona from entering the country.

A petition drawn up by the Hope not Hate group calling on Mr Vona to be banned because his ‘politics of hate are simply not welcome here’ has been signed by more than 8,000 people.

Former Labour MP Andrew Dinsmore, who founded Holocaust Memorial Day, said Jobbik is ‘the most powerful outwardly fascist political party in Europe’.

Last night Mr Dinsmore, who is now a Labour Assembly Member in London said: ‘Their level of support in the Hungarian elections shows how their message of hate has spread.

‘London is a diverse city and we must take a stand against those who have no other aim than to incite hatred.

‘Our Jewish and Roma communities in London, for whom Jobbik reserve special hate, need defending against their filthy ideas.

‘All our residents need protection from the undesirable audience of far right activists he is likely to attract.

Home Secretary Theresa May faced demands to ban far-Right Hungarian politician Gabor Vona

Mrs May has powers to exclude anyone from Britain whose presence she believes is ‘not conducive to the public good’.

But if he were excluded, Mr Vona would have the right of appeal to an immigration tribunal.

Calls for the ban have been backed The Board of Deputies of British Jews and other Jewish groups.

They called on Mrs May to make ‘every effort to prevent these Jobbik representatives from propagating their despicable views and hatred in the UK.’

In his letter to the Home Secretary, Mr Dismore wrote: ‘While I advocate the right to free speech in our society, this must also be balanced against other human rights.

‘It is particularly important to note that his event is being held on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day when the offence of his meeting will be all the more damaging.’

The Jobbik Party has been condemned for trying to force Hungarian gypsies out of the country and into other parts of the EU.

It also stands accused of teaching the Roma to speak English in order to encourage them to leave Hungary.

Mr Vona’s spokesman denied reports he would be meeting BNP leaders and representatives of the Greek far right Golden Dawn party

She said the event was a forum for Mr Vona to speak to Hungarian ex-patriots ahead of European Parliament elections on May 22.

His spokesman said: ‘He has no intention of meeting anyone from Golden Dawn or the British National Party.

‘This is a forum for Hungarian citizens. This is not to do with anyone else.

‘There are lots of Hungarians living in London and the election is coming up in Hungary.’

The event is due to take place in Holborn, central London, on Sunday afternoon.

In 2009, the then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith banned a Dutch MP, Geert Wilders who has described the Qur’an as a ‘fascist book’.

But he later won an appeal and was allowed in to the country.

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘We do not comment on individual cases or if someone is under consideration for exclusion.” Scotland Yard refused to say if police would attend the event.