A high-profile Tory donor says he is “deeply sorry” for reports that former Labor MP Diane Abbott made him “want to hate all black women”.
Frank Hester, chief executive of The Phoenix Partnership, reportedly donated £10m to the Conservative Party last year. Still suspended from the Parliamentary Labor Party“Should be shot.”
A spokesman for Mr Hester admitted in a post on Or skin color has nothing to do with it.”
Labor and the Lib Dems called on the Conservatives to return Mr Hester’s donations to the party in comments deemed “reprehensible”.
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“Frank Hester acknowledged that he was rude to Diane Abbott during a private meeting several years ago, but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender or the color of her skin,” the statement said.
“The Guardian is right to quote Frank as saying he abhors racism, not least because of what he experienced as the child of Irish immigrants in the 1970s.”
The statement added: “He called Diane Abbott twice today to attempt to apologize directly for the harm he had caused her and to apologize deeply for his comments.
“He wants to make it clear that he believes racism is a poison that has no place in public life.”
Electoral Commission records show Mr Hester donated £10m to the Conservative Party last year, including a £5m personal donation to Rishi Sunak and a further £5m from his health software company in November.
The Guardian reported that Mr Hester made the remarks about Ms Abbott at a meeting at the company’s headquarters in Leeds in 2019.
He reportedly said: “It’s like trying not to be racist, but you see Diane Abbott on TV and you’re like… you just want to hate all black women because she’s there.
“I don’t hate all black women at all, but I think she should be shot.”
Labor leader Anneliese Dodds said: “These comments are reprehensible.
“Frank Hurst is the Conservative Party’s largest ever donor and a personal donor to the Prime Minister, so it is vital that Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party return his donation in full and immediately.
“Rishi Sunak, who claims ‘words matter’, must know that keeping the money would show the Tories condone these disturbing rhetoric. Sunak must return every penny.”
Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain urged Mr Sunak to rule out Mr Hester “taking on any future peerage”.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said Hurst had used “completely offensive, racist and inflammatory language” and called on the prime minister to apologize to Ms Abbott.
A Tory spokesman said: “Mr Hester made it clear that while he was rude, his criticism had nothing to do with her gender or the color of her skin.
“He has apologized.”
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Ms Abbott, who was first elected as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in 1987, argued in the Observer last April that Jews, Irish and Travelers would not suffer “for life” Labor whip withdrawn after racism
Ms Abbott, an independent member of the House of Commons, is awaiting the outcome of an independent complaints process set up by Labor to investigate her comments.
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