London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was on Wednesday forced to defend the governing Conservative Party even as he admitted one of the party’s biggest donor’s comments targeted at an Opposition Labour Party MP were “racist”.
During Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons, Sunak referenced his Indian heritage as he defended his government amid intense pressure over wealthy businessman Frank Hester’s reported remarks in a 2019 meeting that Labour MP Diane Abbott makes you “want to hate all black women”.
In a separate meeting, Hester – who has donated GBP 10 million to the Tories in the past year – said Abbott “should be shot”.
“The alleged comments were wrong, they were racist and he has rightly apologised for them and that remorse should be accepted,” Sunak told members of Parliament.
“There is no place for racism in Britain and the government that I lead is living proof of that,” he said.
While Labour Leader Keir Starmer sought to capitalise on the controversy as he said it was clear Sunak “won’t hand the (donated) money back” to Hester, the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) accused Sunak of “putting money before morals”.
“In November, the Prime Minister accepted a non-cash donation to the tune of GBP 15,000 from Frank Hester for the use of his helicopter, so will he reimburse him — yes or no,” questioned Labour MP Marsha De Cordova.
Sunak replied “no” as he hit back to say that Hester was supporting “one of the most diverse governments in this country’s history, led by this country’s first British Asian Prime Minister”.
Meanwhile, the ‘Guardian’ which reported the controversial comments from over four years ago, claimed the chief of the healthcare technology firm Phoenix Partnership (TPP) said in a meeting: “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.”
A statement from TPP said its boss “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’ has also followed up with a report that Hester asked at a company meeting if there was “no room for the Indians” due to a large crowd. During the packed meeting at the TPP headquarters overlooking a railway line in Leeds, northern England, Hester then added: “Climb on the roof, like on the roof of the train there maybe?”
However, a minister in Sunak’s Cabinet has defended the businessman to say he is not a racist despite some of his ill-judged comments.
Business minister Kevin Hollinrake said: “I think the key thing now is, is Mr Hester himself a racist? I don’t believe so from what I know, and I don’t know him.
“I think we should judge in the whole context. We’ve got the most diverse cabinet in history. We’ve got the first British Asian prime minister in this country. We’re not a racist party.”
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