A Conservative minister has said he does not believe the party’s biggest donor is a racist, despite allegedly making comments about former Labor MP Diane Abbott in which he apparently said she made him “think Hate all black women.”
Rishi Sunak spent all Tuesday The Guardian first reported businessman Frank Hirst’s comments, which he ultimately called “racist and wrong.”
But despite the condemnation, the Prime Minister said the donor’s remorse “should be accepted”.
Business secretary Kevin Hollinrake reiterated Sunak’s criticism this morning, telling Wilfred Frost on Sky News that the alleged comments were “clearly racial.” ism and wrong, no doubt about it…You cannot judge a person’s character by the color of his skin.”
But he added: “I think the key now is, is Mr Hester himself a racist? As far as I know, I don’t think so and I don’t know him.”
“But I think based on what we know now, we should try to move forward from now on, and I think that’s the right thing to do.”
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Hollinlake also appeared to reject calls for the Conservatives to return donations from Hearst and his company, healthcare software company Phoenix Partners, saying: “I think we should judge it in the context of the whole context. We have the most diverse population in history. Cabinet… we have our country’s first British Asian Prime Minister. We are not a racist party.”
Asked if the party was “willing to spend” the businessman’s money, the minister replied: “Well, because he’s not a racist and has apologized for what he said, yes.”
After reports first broke, Mr Hurst, who has donated more than £5 million to the Conservative Party since the 2019 election, said he was “deeply sorry” for the “rude” comments he made to Ms Abbott, including Apparently she “should be shot”.
But he insisted these had “nothing to do with her gender or the color of her skin”.
The Guardian has since reported further comments he allegedly made to staff, asking if there was “no room for Indians” in meetings, before suggesting staff climb onto the roof of a train.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ms Abbott said it was “horrifying” and “shocking” to hear such comments, especially after two MPs – Labour’s Jo Cox and the Conservative Party leader Sir David Arms—after his murder.
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