Starmer must support Diane Abbott and restore whip, says Dawn Butler
The Tory party’s crisis over donor Frank Hester’s comments about Diane Abbott deepened on Wednesday as a minister defended his financial contributions and said he was not racist.
Kevin Hollinrake, parliamentary under secretary for the Department of Business and Trade, said it would “not be the right thing to do” to return Mr Hester’s £10million donation to his party.
He added that Mr Hester’s comments were “clearly racist” but he did not believe the donor still held those views. Asked if the Tory party would take £10m from Mr Hester again, he said they would “on the basis that we don’t believe he’s a racist, yes”.
It comes after Diane Abbott has reported the Conservative Party’s biggest ever donor to the police after he was alleged to have said the MP “should be shot”.
Meanwhile, minister Kemi Badenoch broke ranks with other senior colleagues to condemn Mr Hester’s comments as “racist”. And eventually, a day after the row first broke out, the prime minister’s spokesperson said the comments were “racist and wrong”.
Tory donor suggests ‘no room for the Indians’ in latest remarks revealed in racism row
A racism row involving the Conservative party’s top donor has intensified following revelations of further resurfaced comments from Frank Hester.
Mr Hester – the chief executive of The Phoenix Partnership (TPP), which has won more than £400m in government and NHS contracts – is alleged to have called a meeting in 2019 of his “foreign” workers to address allegations of racism.
Joe Middleton13 March 2024 09:18
Government minister says ‘zero tolerance on racism’ is just a ‘slogan’ in today’s politics
Business minister Nus Ghani has posted on social media to say “zero tolerance on racism is just a slogan in todays politics” following a refusal from postal minister Kevin Hollinrake to return Frank Hester’s donation.
Writing on X, she added a quote from American novelist Toni Morrison:“The people who do this thing, who practice racism, are bereft.“That is something distorted about the psyche. It’s a huge waste and it’s a corruption and a distortion.”
Joe Middleton13 March 2024 09:00
Tory minister defends Hester’s donations and says he’s not racist
Kevin Hollinrake, parliamentary under secretary for the Department of Business and Trade, said it would “not be the right thing to do” to return Mr Hester’s £10million donation to his party.
He added that Mr Hester’s comments were “clearly racist” but he did not believe the donor still held those views. Asked if the Tory party would take £10m from Mr Hester again, he said they would “on the basis that we don’t believe he’s a racist, yes”.
Mr Hester, who donated £10million to the Conservatives last year, is reported to have said Ms Abbott made him “want to hate all black women” and that she “should be shot”.
Minister says he would accept another £10m donation from Frank Hester
Joe Middleton13 March 2024 08:52
Hester’s comments were racist, Kemi Badenoch says
Tory donor Frank Hester’s comments about Diane Abbott were racist and appalling, conservative minister Kemi Badenoch said.
Ms Badenoch warned it was “never acceptable to conflate someone’s views with the colour of their skin” but added there needed to be space for forgiveness over Mr Hester’s comments.
She wrote on X: “Hester’s 2019 comments, as reported, were racist. I welcome his apology. Abbott and I disagree on a lot.
“But the idea of linking criticism of her, to being a black woman is appalling. It’s never acceptable to conflate someone’s views with the colour of their skin.
“MPs have a difficult job balancing multiple interests -often under threats of intimidation as we saw recently in parliament.
“Some people make flippant comments without thinking of this context. This is why there needs to be space for forgiveness where there is contrition.”
Alexander Butler13 March 2024 07:40
Labour Party urges Conservatives to return Hester donation
The Labour Party has urged prime minister Rishi Sunak to return the £10million Frank Hester donation.
Alexander Butler13 March 2024 07:30
Tory donor Frank Hester says ‘differences should be discussed playfully’
The Tory donor accused of saying Diane Abbott “should be shot” has suggested differences should be discussed “playfully without seeking to cause offence”.
Frank Hester, who also allegedly said looking at the MP makes you “want to hate all black women”, said Britain should “celebrate the rich diversity of people”.
The businessman, who is the Conservative Party’s biggest donor having handed it £10m in the past year, is under fire over the comments which have been condemned by Labour as “racist”.
Read the full article by Archie Mitchell below:
Alexander Butler13 March 2024 07:26
ICYMI: Diane Abbott reports Tory donor Frank Hester to police
The MP filed a complaint with the Metropolitan Police’s parliamentary liaison and investigations team after Frank Hester, who donated £10m to the Tories last year, allegedly made a series of incendiary comments about her, including that she made him “want to hate all Black women”.
It came as a Tory row erupted over the furore, with minister Kemi Badenoch breaking ranks with senior colleagues to describe Mr Hester’s alleged remarks as “racist”.
Read the full story below:
Athena Stavrou13 March 2024 07:00
Tory donor Frank Hester says ‘differences should be discussed playfully’
The Tory donor accused of saying Diane Abbott “should be shot” has suggested differences should be discussed “playfully without seeking to cause offence”.
Frank Hester, who also allegedly said looking at the MP makes you “want to hate all black women”, said Britain should “celebrate the rich diversity of people”.
The businessman, who is the Conservative Party’s biggest donor having handed it £10m in the past year, is under fire over the comments which have been condemned by Labour as “racist”.
Read the full article by Archie Mitchell below:
Athena Stavrou13 March 2024 06:00
Frank Hester responds to allegations
A statement released via Frank Hester’s firm on Monday said that he was “deeply sorry” and had rung Diane Abbott twice “to try to apologise directly for the hurt he has caused her”.
“Frank Hester accepts that he was rude about Diane Abbott in a private meeting several years ago but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin,” the statement said.
Mr Hester “abhors racism, not least because he experienced it as the child of Irish immigrants in the 1970s”, the statement said, adding: “He wishes to make it clear that he regards racism as a poison which has no place in public life.”
In response to a request by the BBC, a spokesperson for Mr Hester said the statement is not a confirmation of the alleged quotes in The Guardian.
Athena Stavrou13 March 2024 05:00
Starmer urges Conservative Party to hand back Hester’s money
Sir Keir Starmer has described Frank Hester’s alleged racist remarks about Diane Abbott as “abhorrent” and urged the Conservative Party to hand back his money.
The Labour leader defended Ms Abbott as a “trailblazer” who has inspired others, while saying he does not “buy” the Tory line that Mr Hester’s comments were not racist or sexist.
He said: “Those comments about Diane Abbott are just abhorrent. Diane has been a trailblazer, she has paved the way for others.
“She has probably faced more abuse than any other politician over the years on a sustained basis.
“And I’m sorry, this apology this morning that pretends what was said was not racist or was not anything to do with the fact she is a woman… I don’t buy that, I’m afraid.”
Athena Stavrou13 March 2024 03:30
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