The Conservative Party accepted a further £150,000 from Frank Hester in March, two days after Rishi Sunak had condemned comments the donor had reportedly made about Diane Abbott as “racist and wrong”.
New Electoral Commission data today revealed Frank Hester gave the Conservative Party £150,000 on 8 March via his healthcare firm, The Phoenix Partnership, which the party accepted on 14 March.
Days earlier allegations had emerged the Tory supporter said in 2019 that Ms Abbott, who in 1987 became the first black woman MP, made him want to “hate all black women” and “should be shot”.
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Rishi Sunak was criticised for the way he responded to the allegations about the major Tory party donor, before eventually on 12 March condemning them as “racist”.
But he but resisted demands to return the money, saying the tech boss’s “remorse should be accepted”.
His party at the time also kept quiet about an additional £5m it had accepted from Mr Hester in January, which was before the row, but was only publicly disclosed by the Electoral Commission today.
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Frank Hester had said he was “deeply sorry for his remarks” and accepted he had been rude, but said his criticism had “nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin”.
He also handed the Tories £10m last year, taking the total from the party’s biggest donor to £15m.
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As news broke today of the additional donation, Ms Abbott tweeted: “Rishi Sunak belatedly admitted Frank Hester’s remarks that ‘I made him hate all black woman and should be shot’ were racist.
“Now it turns out Sunak accepted a further £5m from him.
“An insult to me and all black women.”
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Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “How low can Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives go? If the Conservatives spend this money they will be proudly funded by a man who made the most appalling racist and sexist comments.”
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‘We consider the matter resolved’
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Mr Hester has rightly apologised for comments made in the past. As Mr Hester has apologised and shown contrition, we consider the matter resolved.
“The Conservative Party is funded by membership, fundraising and donations. All reportable donations are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and comply fully with the law.
They added: “Fundraising is a legitimate part of the democratic process.”
