Rishi Sunak will not say if Tory donor’s feedback about Diane Abbott are racist

Rishi Sunak has declined to say whether or not a Tory donor’s alleged declare that Diane Abbott made him “want to hate all black women” was racist.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman mentioned the feedback allegedly made by millionaire Tory donor Frank Hester have been “clearly unacceptable” however repeatedly refused to say whether or not they have been racist. Mr Hester, who runs well being tech agency The Phoenix Partnership (TPP), apologised final evening following a report within the Guardian, which alleged he additionally mentioned the previous Shadow Home Secretary “should be shot”.

Mr Hester admitted he had been impolite about Ms Abbott on the non-public assembly in 2019 however mentioned his criticism “had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin”. Rishi Sunak is going through calls to return donations Mr Hester has made to the Tory Party, which totalled £10million final 12 months. He donated £5million to the celebration individually and gave one other £5million through his agency, in keeping with the Electoral Commission.

Ms Abbott, Britain’s longest-serving Black MP, mentioned the feedback have been “frightening” and “alarming”, particularly as two MPs – Jo Cox and Sir David Amess – have been murdered lately. She mentioned: “I am a single woman and that makes me vulnerable anyway. But to hear someone talking like this is worrying.”

Amid a rising political storm, high Tories tied themselves in knots to defend Mr Hester. Energy minister Graham Stuart mentioned the remarks have been “ridiculous” however he would “hesitate” to explain them as racist. Cabinet minister Mel Stride mentioned the feedback have been “inappropriate” however added: “I think the critical point here is I don’t think what he was saying was a gender-based or a race-based comment, but it was clearly inappropriate. He has apologised and I think we need to move on from that.”

Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman mentioned: “I wouldn’t usually comment on alleged words, second-hand accounts, etc. But, as minister Stuart said this morning, what is alleged and reported to have been said is clearly unacceptable.” He refused to say why they have been unacceptable, including: “I don’t have anything to add beyond what minister Stuart said this morning.”

But Tory MP Kwasi Kwarteng, who was the UK’s first Black Chancellor below Liz Truss, advised the BBC: “They are clearly racist and they’re clearly sexist. And I believe Diane was proper to level out that the decision to violence, even in a flippant approach, is actually inappropriate. So they have been very silly remarks.” He said he hadn’t heard a recording of the alleged comments, but added: “Clearly what’s been reported is racist, sexist and completely unacceptable.”

Keir Starmer described the allegations as “abhorrent” and said the Tories should hand back Mr Hester’s donations. Speaking to ITV’s Lorraine, he said: “Diane has been a trailblazer, she has paved the way in which for others. She has most likely confronted extra abuse than every other politician over time on a sustained foundation.

“I’m sorry, this apology this morning which is pretending that what was said wasn’t racist or anything to do with the fact that she’s a woman. I don’t buy that I’m afraid. I think it’s time the Tory Party called it out and returned the money.”

Tory peer Lord Marland, who described himself as a pal of Mr Hester, mentioned he wasn’t racist as he did enterprise in international locations like Malaysia and Jamaica. He advised LBC: “I know Frank Hester as it turns out and the first question I ask myself is ‘is he a racist’? And the Frank Hester I know isn’t.

“He’s a global businessman, he travels extensively abroad – he does loads of a enterprise in Jamaica, he does enterprise in Malaysia, in Bangladesh – so he isn’t a racist. He made some unlucky remarks that do sound racist, and fairly rightly he is apologised for them. That’s my view on the topic. My overriding factor is that he isn’t a racist.”

According to the Guardian, which has performed a months-long investigation into Mr Hester, he’s alleged to have mentioned throughout a 2019 assembly about an government from one other firm: “It’s like trying not to be racist but you see Diane Abbott on the TV, and you’re just like I hate, you just want to hate all black women because she’s there, and I don’t hate all black women at all, but I think she should be shot.

“[The executive] and Diane Abbott need to be shot. She’s stupid … If we can get [the executive] being unprofessional we can get her sacked.” He then reportedly said it “would be much better if she died”.

In another 2018 meeting, the Guardian claims, he called “foreign” workers into a meeting and said although he makes “a lot of jokes about racism” he thinks it is “just the most abhorrent thing”. He later called on staff to be “loving and accepting of each other”. He reportedly told them that progress would not be “based on the colour of your skin, your ethnicity, where your parents are from”.

The Mirror has not heard the recording and can’t independently confirm the alleged remarks.

TPP, which has acquired greater than £400million in NHS and different Government contracts since 2016, advised the newspaper the remarks have been “distorted”.

A TPP spokesperson mentioned: “Frank Hester accepts that he was rude about Diane Abbott in a private meeting several years ago but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin. The Guardian is right when it quotes Frank saying he abhors racism, not least because he experienced it as the child of Irish immigrants in the 1970’s.

“He rang Diane Abbott twice in the present day to attempt to apologise instantly for the damage he has triggered her, and is deeply sorry for his remarks. He needs to make it clear that he regards racism as a poison which has no place in public life.”

A Conservative spokeswoman said: “Mr Hester has made clear that whereas he was impolite, his criticism had nothing to do along with her gender nor the color of her pores and skin. He has since apologised.”

Ms Abbott, first elected as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in 1987, has sat as an independent since April after the Labour whip was withdrawn following comments she made in The Observer suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller people are not subject to racism “all their lives”.

She is awaiting the outcome of an independent complaints process set up by Labour to investigate her remarks.