The controversy surrounding Frank Hester, a major donor to the Conservative Party, has escalated following his apology for making comments about Labour MP Diane Abbott in 2019. Despite the apology, discussions have intensified over whether the party should return the £10 million donated by Hester. Tory Minister Graham Stuart and other party officials, including Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake, have defended the decision to keep the donations, arguing that the comments, while inappropriate, do not necessitate returning the funds. They emphasized that the remarks were made half a decade ago and described Hester as 'not a racist' despite making 'unfortunate remarks that do sound racist'. The debate has also touched on the broader issue of political donations and the criteria for accepting them, with some officials suggesting that Hester's apology and the time elapsed since the comments were made mitigate the need for further action.
Postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake says the Conservative Party would take another £10 million from Frank Hester. “On the basis that we don’t believe Mr Hester’s a racist, yes.” 👇🏼 https://t.co/6RE6AbLX9d
Diane Abbott row: Tory minister says they'd take more cash from donor Frank Hester https://t.co/8dbxzC8RG4
"If you say racist things and don’t apologise for them that makes you racist but if you say something racist and then apologise that’s a different thing." Minister Kevin Hollinrake tells @TomSwarbrick1 he doesn't believe Tory donor Frank Hester is a racist. https://t.co/caIlen8ULm
Minister Says Tories Would Take Another £10 Million From Frank Hester Despite Diane Abbott Row https://t.co/wTUVJn1JvI
'If he said I'd like to give you another £10m would you take it? Post Office Minister Kevin Holinrake is asked on #BBCBreakfast over alleged comments made by Tory donor Frank Hester about MP Diane Abbott which Number 10 have called 'racist and wrong' https://t.co/qXRV0UzrBv https://t.co/QEw5yL8otl
Minister Kevin Hollingrake says to @TomSwarbrick1 that the party could take more money from Frank Hester as he is "not racist" ... despite making racist comments 🤔 "That's a judgement you've got to make at the time... Hester has apologised for what he has said... people make…
'Is the Conservative party happy to spend the money?' Govt minister @kevinhollinrake tells Sky News 'yes, on the basis Tory donor Frank Hester is not a racist and he's apologised', following his alleged comments about MP Diane Abbott Latest: https://t.co/wnjALN9KaT 📺 Sky 501 https://t.co/V672r0MJG6
NEW: Postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake tells @bbcbreakfast the Conservative Party would take another £10 million from Frank Hester. “On the basis that we don’t believe Mr Hester’s a racist, yes.”
NEW: Post office minister Kevin Hollinrake says the Tories would be willing to take another £10 million from Frank Hester.
'His comments are racist but it doesn't necessarily mean he's a racist.' Minister for postal affairs @kevinhollinrake says that the Tories "don't need to return the money" from Frank Hester, their biggest donor, for making comments about Diane Abbott. https://t.co/Als1Lul7Wl https://t.co/kMXGI063xj
Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake says the Tories aren't planning to give back Frank Hester's £10m donations "I don't think that would be the right thing to do," he tells @SkyNews
Wilfred Frost: should the Tory Party return the money that Frank Hester donated Kevin Hollinrake: "I don't think that's the right thing to do... his comments were clearly racist.. he's apologised.. I don't think we should judge his character on a private conversation... move on" https://t.co/XdasT4juVY
Asked if the Tories should hand back the £10 million they received from Frank Hester (who Rishi Sunak now says made racist comments about Diane Abbott), post office minister Kevin Hollinrake tells Sky: "I don't think that would be the right thing to do."
Lord Marland, friend of Frank Hester says that Hester is not racist… …because “he does a lot of business in Jamaica”. 🤦🏻♂️ Seriously. Here is the recording. https://t.co/WTToAzIkLh
BREAKING 🚨🚨 | Conservative Lord Marland has DEFENDED Frank Hester - the Tory donor who attacked Diane Abbott - saying: He Is not racist because "he does a lot of business in Jamaica... and places like that."
Amazing stuff. Conservative peer Lord Marland says Frank Hester can't possibly be racist, because he does lots of business in Jamaica https://t.co/XNrSTFnxB1
“He does a lot of business in Jamaica, in Malaysia, Bangladesh and places like that so he's not a racist" That’s a new one. Not sure Lord Marland has read many history books - because I remember the parts where racist people made money off the backs of people of colour. https://t.co/SB9RT3CqCG
EXCL Friend of Frank Hester, Lord Marland tells me "He is not a racist... he made some unfortunate remarks that do sound racist" "He does a lot of business in Jamaica, in Malaysia, Bangladesh and places like that so he's not a racist" @LBC @mrjamesob https://t.co/vgxhHnCGAG
'Do we have to destroy this man because he said these unacceptable things? I would hope not' Government minister @grahamstuart resists calls for the Conservatives to return £10m donated by Frank Hester, after comments he made about Diane Abbott https://t.co/TOd5rfPBIK
Lord Marland, the businessman and former Conservative Party donor and Treasurer, said he knows Mr Hester and he is not a racist. He told @LBC @HenryRiley1 "I know Frank Hester, and he is not a racist... he made some unfortunate remarks that do sound racist, and quite rightly he… https://t.co/sWkF2L0069
Tory donor Frank Hester is 'not a racist' but 'made some unfortunate remarks that do sound racist,' and was 'right to apologise' Conservative peer tells LBC. https://t.co/rsWIU0RrPB
'The comments if true are pretty awful, but does that mean he can't donate to a political party?' Government minister @grahamstuart resists calls for the Conservatives to return £10m donated by Frank Hester, after comments he made about Labour MP Diane Abbott https://t.co/5hLSVjejRF
“He has accepted, as he should, that that was rude, inappropriate and wrong. But that was half a decade ago.” Minister Graham Stuart tells #TimesRadio he ”hesitates to stick" racist "label" on Frank Hester after comments the Conservative Party donor made about Diane Abbott. https://t.co/WqiqfaW1e8
"So somebody else that might have said things like this in the past, you welcome their money?" Govt minister @grahamstuart addresses Tory donor, Frank Hester apologising to Labour MP, Diane Abbott over reported comments from 2019 Full story: https://t.co/CFrLSw3uVB 📺 Sky 501 https://t.co/zidFjtb2lV
Tory Minister Graham Stuart condemns the alleged remarks about Diane Abbott - but won't say the Tories should return Frank Hester's donations People can't be stopped from donating money because "they said something intemperate and wrong in the past", he says https://t.co/W2Rs2akTiN
Tory Minister Graham Stuart condemns the alleged remarks about Diane Abbott - but won't say the Tories should return Frank Hester's donations People can't be stopped from donating money to the party because "they said something intemperate in the past", he says https://t.co/W2Rs2akTiN
"Mr Hester was correct to apologise unreservedly for that to Diane, for using that type of language." @JamesDalyMP says major donor Frank Hester was right to apologise but refuses to say his comments were racist, speaking to @JPonPolitics on #TimesRadio. https://t.co/ToBlpovL1c