UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declined requests from opposition parties to give back money to a Conservative Party donor who allegedly made racist comments about MP Diane Abbott. Despite claims that Frank Hester had said Abbott “should be shot,” Sunak maintained that Hester had apologised and that “that remorse should be accepted.” Hester has donated upwards of £10 million to the Conservatives, and gifted Sunak a helicopter worth £15,000 in November 2023.
Scotland’s SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn criticised Sunak’s unwillingness to return the donation, stating that the Prime Minister was “putting money before morals” and branding Hester a “racist” who was “downright bloody dangerous.” Flynn also pointed out that the issue of Tory donor views represented an extremism that all should be concerned about, rather than focusing solely on political violence.
Labour MP Marsha de Cordova questioned Sunak at Prime Minister’s Questions about whether he would return the helicopter donation, to which Sunak replied “No.” In response, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested Sunak did not have the necessary courage to give back the money and called for Hester’s £10 million donation to be returned. Additionally, Starmer referenced Sunak’s speech on extremism outside Downing Street, stating that the Prime Minister was attempting to “pose as some kind of unifier,” but “is now finding himself tongue-tied, shrinking in sophistry, hoping he can deflect for long enough that it will all go away.”
Other MPs also commented on the issue, with Labour’s Paulette Hamilton highlighting the impact of such comments on the threat and anxiety levels of MPs in Parliament, particularly female MPs and black women. On the other hand, Sunak criticised Starmer’s choice to serve under a Labour leader that had let antisemitism run rampant in the party, emphasising that the UK government remains free of racism.
The debate was sparked by a Monday report in The Guardian, which detailed Hester’s alleged comments, leading to renewed scrutiny of Conservative Party donations. While Hester’s firm has stated that his criticism of Abbott had “nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin,” the story has prompted questions about the appropriateness of continuing the donation relationship. Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, has written to all Conservative MPs, urging them to refuse donations from Hester
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More