Rishi Sunak will not return £16k helicopter money from Tory donor in racism storm
Rishi Sunak has rejected calls handy again money for a VIP helicopter flight from a Tory donor that No10 accused of creating racist remarks.
Businessman Frank Hester allegedly mentioned that seeing MP Diane Abbott on TV made him “want to hate all Black women” and that she ought to be “shot” in a gathering in 2019 reported by the Guardian. He denied his feedback had something to do along with her race or her gender.
He turned the Conservatives’ largest ever donor after gifting the occasion £5million individually and one other £5million through his agency final yr, in response to the Electoral Commission. Pictures emerged yesterday of the PM utilizing a helicopter paid for by his agency.
In November, Mr Hester’s firm The Phoenix Partnership (TPP), lined the £15,900 value of Mr Sunak taking a personal helicopter to a Tory marketing campaign go to in Leeds. Photographs present the PM getting within the luxurious plane in Battersea in London to be whisked as much as Yorkshire.
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Labour MP Marsha de Cordova challenged Mr Sunak to present again the cash throughout PMQs. She mentioned: “The Prime Minister stood outside Downing Street saying that he wanted to root out hate and extremism, yet it shamefully took him more than 24 hours to finally say the remarks by the Tories’ biggest donor – that looking at (Diane Abbott) makes you want to hate all black women – were indeed racist.
“In November the Prime Minister accepted a non-cash donation to the tune of £15,000 from Frank Hester for using his helicopter. So will he reimburse him, sure or no?”
Mr Sunak replied: “No and I’m happy that the gentleman is supporting a celebration that represents some of the numerous governments on this nation’s historical past led by this nation’s first British-Asian Prime Minister.”
In a heated change, Keir Starmer additionally blasted Mr Sunak for being “terrified of his occasion” as he told the PM to hand back the £10million. He said: “Is the Prime Minister proud to be bankrolled by somebody utilizing racist and misogynistic language when he says the Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington [Diane Abbott] ‘makes you need to hate all black ladies?”‘
Mr Sunak replied: “The alleged feedback had been mistaken, they had been racist, he has rightly apologised for them and that regret ought to be accepted. There is not any place for racism in Britain, and the Government I lead resides proof of that.”
The Labour pressed him again, demanding to know “how low would he must sink, what racist, woman-hating risk of violence would he must make earlier than the Prime Minister plucked up the braveness handy again the £10 million that he is taken from him?”
Mr Sunak replied: “As I mentioned, the gentleman apologised genuinely for his feedback and that regret ought to be accepted.” He then tried to check the feedback to when Deputy Leader Angela Rayner sparked a backlash for remarks about “Tory scum” in 2021.
The PM said Mr Starmer’s “silence speaks volumes” as he also raised a 2014 incident when former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell spoke about Tory Esther McVey being lynched. But Mr Starmer retorted: “He’s scared of his party. I’ve changed my party”
But pressure continued to mount on Mr Sunak to give back the donations, with the Tories in Scotland saying they should be reviewed. A spokesperson said: “The Scottish Conservative Party has by no means accepted a donation from Frank Hester and the UK Conservative Party ought to rigorously evaluate the donations it has obtained from Hester in response to his remarks.”
No10 finally bowed to pressure last night to admit that Mr Hester’s reported comments about Britain’s longest-serving Black MP were racist after 24 hours of dithering. Ms Abbott, the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, reported Mr Hester to the police yesterday. She said his remarks were “scary” and “alarming”, adding: “I’m a single lady and that makes me susceptible anyway. But to listen to somebody speaking like that is worrying.”
Yesterday, the PM’s spokesman said: “The feedback allegedly made by Frank Hester had been racist and mistaken. He has now rightly apologised for the offence triggered and the place regret is proven it ought to be accepted. The Prime Minister is evident there isn’t a place for racism in public life.”
In a 2019 assembly, Mr Hester is alleged to have mentioned about an govt 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.
In an announcement on Monday, 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 right now to attempt to apologise straight 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.”
