Samantha Cameron and Michael Gove's wife Sarah Vine 'row' over EU referendum

David Cameron and Michael Gove's wives have fallen out over their husbands' opposing sides in the EU referendum debate, it has been claimed.

Samantha Cameron and Mr Gove's wife, the newspaper columnist Sarah Vine, have been friends since the two men became MPs.

They used to live near each other, have been on holiday together and Ms Vine is godmother to the Cameron's youngest daughter.

But the pair are understood to have had a stand-up row at a party following Mr Gove's decision to back Brexit – and Ms Vine's decision to write about how that impacted on their friendship in her column for the Daily Mail.

The Sun reported that the pair were heard arguing at the party to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Tory party chairman Lord Feldman.

The paper said Mrs Cameron launched into a "tirade" at Ms Vine, accusing her of “betrayal”.

The paper quoted a source saying raised voices and “effing and blinding” was heard.

Mrs Cameron was understood to have been particularly incensed by a newspaper column Ms Vine wrote about her husband’s “internal struggle” over backing Brexit.

The piece was published the day before the party.

In it she talked about the couple's friendship and admitted Mr Cameron had been hurt by Mr Gove's decision.

"The Camerons are some of our dearest friends," she wrote.

"We had been through so much together, both personal and political. I am godmother to Florence, their youngest.

"Now David would inevitably feel let down. Michael was between a rock and a hard place. Be true to himself and disappoint his friend; support the Prime Minister and betray his principles."

She added: "When he eventually told David the truth about his feelings on the re-negotiations — that he was not inclined to support the deal in its current form — the PM was genuinely, and quite naturally, shocked and hurt.

"I blame myself in part for any misunderstanding. In earlier, albeit informal, conversations in which Mr Cameron had asked me about Michael’s intentions, I had not been entirely transparent — mostly because I genuinely wasn’t sure which way Michael was going to go, but also because, being frightfully middle-class about it all, I didn’t want to start a row.

“It was never going to be easy. But neither of us had any idea it would be such torture either. Mr Cameron was expecting opposition from all sorts of people, but not from Michael.”

Sarah Vine has since told friends that she knew the PM and his wife were “incredibly stressed out” and she hopes that she and Sam will be able to make up after the referendum.