Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing calls to return the money businessman Frank Hester has donated to the Conservative Party.
The healthcare technology entrepreneur donated £10million to the Tories last year but has come under fire for comments made about Britain’s first female Black MP.
The Guardian reported on Monday that he told colleagues in 2019 that looking at Diane Abbott makes you “want to hate all black women”.
Mr Hester said he accepted that he had made “rude” remarks about the Labour MP, but insisted his criticism “had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin”.
Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and former Tory leader Lord William Hague all said that the comments made by Mr Hester were racist.
Mr Sunak’s spokesperson later said: “The comments allegedly made by Frank Hester were racist and wrong. He has now rightly apologised for the offence caused and where remorse is shown it should be accepted.
“The prime minister is clear there is no place for racism in public life, and as the first British-Asian prime minister leading one of the most ethnically diverse Cabinets in our history, the UK is living proof of that fact.”
Lord Gavin Barwell, former prime minister Theresa May’s chief of staff, told the BBC on Wednesday that it was “hugely frustrating” that it had taken “so long” for Downing Street to call Mr Hester’s reported language racist.
He urged the party to return Mr Hester’s donation and added: “I don’t think we should accept any more donations from him.”
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also called on Mr Sunak to return the money, but Downing Street said Mr Hester “has now rightly apologised for the offence caused, and where remorse is shown it should be accepted”.
Yet Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake declared on Wednesday that the Tories would accept another donation from Mr Hester. Telling BBC Breakfast: “On the basis that we don’t believe Mr Hester’s a racist, yes.”
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