Frank Hester, the Conservative Party's biggest donor, has come under fire after remarks he made about Labour MP Diane Abbott were revealed. Hester, who has donated £10 million to the Tories in the past year, reportedly said that seeing Abbott on television made him 'want to hate all black women' and suggested she 'should be shot'.
The comments were made during a 2019 meeting at Hester's healthcare technology firm, The Phoenix Partnership (TPP). The Guardian reported that Hester also made derogatory remarks about a female executive from another organisation, saying she and Abbott 'need to be shot'. TPP has since issued a statement saying Hester 'accepts that he was rude about Diane Abbott' but insists his criticism was not based on her gender or skin colour.
Labour has called for the Conservatives to return the £10 million donation from Hester and his company. A Conservative Party spokesperson confirmed Hester is now the party's 'biggest ever donor'. The remarks have raised questions about Hester's workplace behaviour, with former TPP employees describing a strict environment where staff were told to raise their hands straight up when asking questions.
Hester's company has been paid more than £400 million by the NHS and other government bodies since 2016. TPP's lawyers previously said the company fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace, and that Hester's comments were taken out of context. Hester has reportedly tried to apologise directly to Abbott.
