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Explanation: Who is Conservative Party donor Frank Hester? What did he allegedly say about Diane Abbott?
Businessman Frank Hester has been widely criticized after comments he allegedly made about Diane Abbott surfaced.
Mr Abbott, the Hackney MP, later hit back, saying the Conservative donor’s reported comments had put him in a “horrible” position.
But who was Mr. Hester and what did he allegedly say about Mr. Abbott?
How did Mr. Hester earn his wealth?
The 58-year-old healthcare entrepreneur is the founder and CEO of Phoenix Partnership (TPP).
Leeds-based TPP describes itself as a “leading global provider of medical technology”.
The company says it provides “critical clinical IT services for over 2,600 general practices.”
During the pandemic, the company reportedly won a six-figure contract to provide data on vaccine uptake levels.
Mr Hester was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2015 for services to medicine and was included in the Sunday Times list of the richest people last year with an estimated fortune of £415 million.
He was a computer programmer when he founded TPP in 1997 and was named one of the UK’s top 50 innovators in 2013 by national health publication Health Service Journal.
Huge donations to the Conservative Party
Electoral Commission records show Mr Hester donated £10m to the Conservative Party last year, including a £5m personal donation to Rishi Sunak and a £5m donation to Rishi Sunak in November. It also includes a £5m donation from a healthcare software company.
His ties to the party go back a long way.
In 2013, he visited India with then Prime Minister David Cameron as part of the largest trade delegation in British history.
The following year, then-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt visited TPP headquarters.
What were his alleged remarks about Mr. Abbott?
According to the Guardian, Mr Hester made the comments about Mr Abbott in 2019 during a meeting at the company’s headquarters in Leeds.
“I’m trying not to be racist, but when I watch Diane Abbott on TV, it’s like…a black woman just because she is… It’s like wanting to hate everyone,” he was quoted as saying.
“I don’t hate all black women at all, but I think she should be shot.”
How did Mr. Hester react?
A spokesperson for the entrepreneur issued a statement saying, “Frank Hester admits that he was rude to Diane Abbott in a private meeting several years ago, but his criticism was not based on her gender.” It had nothing to do with color or skin color.
“The Guardian was right to quote Frank as saying he hates racism, especially because he experienced it as a child of Irish immigrants in the 1970s.”
It added: “He has called Diane Abbott twice today to try to apologize directly to her for hurting her and deeply regrets his comments.”
“He wants to make clear that he considers racism a poison that has no place in public life.”
How did Mr Abbott react?
In her statement, Ms Abbott, Britain’s first black female MP, described how the alleged comments were “alarming” in light of the murders of two politicians since 2016. Described in detail.
“It’s terrifying,” Abbott said. “I live in Hackney, but I don’t drive, so I take the bus at weekends and walk more places than most MPs.
“I’m a single woman so I’m always vulnerable, but when I hear someone talking like this, it worries me.”
She added: “Throughout my career as an MP, I have believed in the importance of mixing and interacting with ordinary people, rather than living in a bubble. In recent years, two MPs have been murdered. “The fact that it happened made all this talk come out to the public,” he added. It’s even more worrying. ”
Prime Minister’s press secretary initially refused to call reported comments racist
Asked about the reported comments during his regular briefing with reporters on Tuesday, Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said the comments were “clearly unacceptable” but declined to say whether they were racist. Ta.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride also told the broadcaster that the comments were “inappropriate”, but added: “What’s important here is that I don’t think what he said was a comment based on gender or race.” Ta.
But Conservative MP and former prime minister Kwasi Kwarteng said the reported comments were “clearly racist and sexist”.
Economy Minister Kemi Badenoch on Tuesday became the first minister to describe the comments as “racist”, but added there should be “room for forgiveness”.
In a statement later, the Prime Minister said he believed the reported comments were “racist and wrong”.
Ask Mr. Hester to return the funds.
Sir Keir Starmer, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and other Tory political opponents are demanding that Mr Hester’s donations be returned to the party.
Asked on Sky News this morning whether the party was “happy to spend” Mr Hester’s money, Kevin Hollinrake, the minister for business and industry, said: “Well, basically he’s not a racist, he’s not a racist. I apologize for that.”
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