The Conservatives are “discussing” an extra £5 million from a Tory donor embroiled in a race row, Sky News reports.
Two sources said discussions were ongoing about an additional donation from Frank Hester, which if received would take his donations since 2019 to £15m.
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The businessman is reportedly embroiled in a racial row over comments he made about left-wing MPs Diane Abbottincluding that she “should be shot” and that she made him “want to hate all black women.”
It was reported on Thursday that the donor had given £10m to the party personally and through his company The Phoenix Partnership (TPP) and may have donated a further £5m, but the Electoral Commission has not announced the amount.
The regulator only publishes a list of donations every three months, but according to Turtle Media, A Conservative source said the party was “sitting on” another £5m in cash.
However, Sky News understands the money has not yet been handed over.
The party has yet to officially comment on the reports.
Earlier, chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Conservatives were “absolutely” transparent in declaring donations but refused to confirm whether the party had received more money from Hester.
When asked whether this was the case, Mr Hunt did not answer the question directly, instead saying: “We are absolutely transparent. We follow all rules and regulations. We believe in this transparency.
“We actually passed a lot of the laws and the Conservative Party fully complied with all the requirements for transparency on all donations.”
Hester’s comments sparked widespread criticism, with the Prime Minister calling them “racist” and “wrong”.
The donor said he was “deeply sorry” for the commentsbut insists they have “nothing to do with her gender or skin color.”
The Conservatives are already under pressure to return Hester’s £10m of known donations from 2019.
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‘Donor remorse should be accepted’
The Scottish Conservatives have called for a “review” of donations, with deputy leader Meghan Gallagher saying it would determine “what the party knows and how we actually move forward”, in a sign of divisions within the party.
She told BBC Radio Scotland on Friday that she could not comment on the “unconfirmed” donation but would seek clarification from the Conservative Party on the report.
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While Mr Sunak condemned Mr Hester’s comments, he said his apology should be accepted.
He appeared to rule out returning the cash during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, saying he was “pleased” the businessman was supporting “one of the most diverse governments in this country’s history”.
Labour’s deputy national campaign coordinator Ellie Reeves told Sky News reports of the additional funding were “shocking and wrong”.
Ms Reeves said: “I think it’s quite shocking, frankly, that there appears to be another £5 million on top of the £10 million he’s already given to the Conservatives.”
“They should return the money. I think it’s shocking and wrong that this money will be used to fund candidates who are handing out leaflets across the country during the general election.”
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