Frank Hester: Tories given further £5m from controversial donor embroiled in race row, claims report
The Conservative Party has reportedly received a further £5m from a donor embroiled in a race row over comments he is said to have made about Diane Abbott.
Businessman Frank Hester was reported to have told staff that the MP made him “want to hate all black women” and “should be shot”.
Mr Hester said he was “deeply sorry” for the remarks, but insisted they had “nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin”.
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He and his company, The Phoenix Partnership, have donated £10m to the Tories since the 2019 general election.
But according to Tortoise Media, Mr Hester has given the party a further £5m that has yet to be declared, as the Electoral Commission only publishes lists of donations every three months.
The news comes as Rishi Sunak faces increasing pressure to give back the cash to the CEO over the reported remarks, which the prime minister himself called “racist and wrong”.
But Mr Sunak appeared to rule the move out at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, and today told reporters: “When someone has expressed genuine remorse or contrition for what they’ve done, which he has, it’s the right thing to do to accept that.”
Labour said there was “absolutely no excuse” for the Conservatives to accept additional donations from Mr Hester, calling for the party to pay it back “before it hits the coffers”.
Chair of the Labour Party, Anneliese Dodds, added: “Frank Hester’s remarks were clearly racist, misogynistic and have no place in our politics.
“Rishi Sunak needs to pay back every penny, cut ties with Frank Hester and apologise unequivocally to Diane Abbott.”
The Liberal Democrats echoed the call, and demanded the Conservatives confirm immediately if the report was true.
Deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Conservative politicians need to learn that just because someone gives you millions of pounds that does not make the inexcusable, excusable.”
A Conservative party spokesperson said: “Declarable donations will be published by the Electoral Commission in the usual way.”