Tory donor Frank Hester apologises after reports of Diane Abbott comments

A major Conservative Party donor said he is “deeply sorry” after reportedly saying former Labour MP Diane Abbott made him “want to hate all black women” and that she “should be shot”.

Frank Hester, chief executive of The Phoenix Partnership (TPP), has admitted making “rude” comments, which were first reported by The Guardian, but said they had “nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin”.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Tories to return the money Mr Hester has donated to the party.

Mr Hester donated £10 million to the Tories last year, according to Electoral Commission records.

Frank Hester accepts that he was rude about Diane Abbot in a private meeting several years ago but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin

Statement via The Phoenix Partnership

He individually donated £5 million to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s party in May and gave another £5 million via his healthcare software firm in November.

The Guardian reported that Mr Hester’s remarks about Ms Abbott were made in 2019, meaning that they likely occurred when she was shadow home secretary under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The newspaper reported that during a meeting at his Leeds company headquarters, Mr Hester, having previously criticised an executive at another organisation, went on to discuss Ms Abbott, the first black woman elected to Parliament.

He reportedly said: “It’s like trying not to be racist but you see Diane Abbott on the TV, and you’re just like… you just want to hate all black women because she’s there.