Scottish Tories in hiding over comments by donor
THE Scottish Tories are in hiding over comments made by the main party’s top donor, Frank Hester, regarding Labour MP Diane Abbott.
The Guardian revealed that Hester – who has given the Conservative Party £10 million in the last year – said that looking at Diane Abbott makes you “want to hate all black women” and that the MP “should be shot”.
In a 2019 meeting at his company’s headquarters, healthcare technology firm the Phoenix Partnership, Hester spoke about an executive from another organisation.
He said: “She’s shit. She’s the shittest person. Honestly I try not to be sexist but when I meet somebody like [the executive], I just ...
“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.”
Responding to calls made by both the Labour Party and the SNP for Hester’s donations to be withdrawn, a Conservative spokesperson told The National: “Mr Hester has made clear that while he was rude, his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor the colour of her skin. He has since apologised.”
The National reached out to the Scottish Conservatives to ask if the party would be condemning the comments made by Hester, or demanding the donation be withdrawn. moral principle, then they would return every single penny and tell him where his money should go.”
Yousaf went on: “My honest view on the question of the Conservative Party more generally is that there is simply no doubt in my mind that the Conservative Party is not just riddled with Islamophobia, but institutionally Islamophobic.
“How could it not be when you hear the comments from [former home secretary] Suella Braverman?
“When Lee Anderson, who was a senior member of the Conservative Party up to a few days ago, was able to make the comments that he made about Sadiq Khan and not a single senior Conservative, including the Prime Minister, was able to call it Islamophobic?
“And that is, of course, the party who also elected a leader that described Muslim women as bank robbers because of the way that they look.
The party told The National it would “effectively be saying the same thing” as the central party in Westminster, and that it had nothing to add. Speaking on The National’s Talking Scotland podcast in collaboration with the Aberdeen Independence Movement yesterday, SNP Westminster group leader Stephen Flynn said Abbott “should be expecting more than an apology”.
He added that the Conservative Party should be returning the donations made by Hester.
“Of course they should. You can’t in any sort of public role be making racist comments. And they are racist, there’s no two ways about it. “The Tories should be giving the
“So the Conservative Party, in my mind, undoubtedly is institutionally Islamophobic.”
During his morning media round yesterday, energy minister Graham Stuart kicked off the day by failing to describe Hester’s comments as racist. But this government line would not hold for long.
In the afternoon, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch became the first minister to concede that Hester’s remarks were racist. She said “the idea of linking criticism of [Abbott] to being a black woman is appalling”.
However, rather than address calls for Hester’s donations to be returned, Badenoch added: “There needs to be space for forgiveness where there is contrition.”
In a new statement issued last night, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “The comments allegedly made by Frank Hester were racist and wrong. He has now rightly apologised for the offence caused and where remorse cash back and they should be saying no more, no thank you.
“It’s appalling, I feel really sorry for Diane.”
Speaking at the London School of Economics yesterday, First Minister Humza Yousaf said that the Conservative Party should return the funding from Hester and “tell him where his money should go”.
Yousaf said the comments from Hester were not just “racist” and “sexist” but were “inciting hatred”.
“If the Conservative Party had any moral principle, then they would return every single penny and tell him where his money should go – that is my honest view,” the First Minister said.
Meanwhile, Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman said the comments were “vile” and urged the Conservatives to return any donations made by Hester.