BBC: Tory donor accused of racist remarks about Diane Abbott

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68539981
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68542621
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68542624

Tory donor Frank Hester, who donated £10 million to the party last year, racist remarks about Diane Abbott. Senior minister Mel Stride defended mr Hester, claiming that the comments were not "race-based".

Reply 1

SHallowvale

14

The Conservatives cosying up to racists behind closed doors? Say it ain't so!

The remarks were awful and it seems like the Conservatives have now been forced to admit that, else risking another embarassment like with Lee Anderson. They'll keep all of the donated money though, I'm sure of it.

Reply 2

erin11

OP

Debate & Current Affairs Helper, Study Forum Helper

16

Original post by SHallowvale

The Conservatives cosying up to racists behind closed doors? Say it ain't so!
The remarks were awful and it seems like the Conservatives have now been forced to admit that, else risking another embarassment like with Lee Anderson. They'll keep all of the donated money though, I'm sure of it.

Yep, 100% agree

I like to look at what’s actually being said before making a judgement in these kinds of matters but wow, that was bad (what got said).

I don’t understand why you’d want to be a party donor to the conservatives in this current climate.

Reply 4

tazarooni89

20

Original post by Talkative Toad

I like to look at what’s actually being said before making a judgement in these kinds of matters but wow, that was bad (what got said).

I don’t understand why you’d want to be a party donor to the conservatives in this current climate.

He’s said that Diane Abbot makes him “want to hate all black women”. I can’t think of any way to construe that as not being both racist and sexist. “This black person… therefore all black people…” may as well be the textbook definition of racism.

Original post by tazarooni89

He’s said that Diane Abbot makes him “want to hate all black women”. I can’t think of any way to construe that as not being both racist and sexist. “This black person… therefore all black people…” may as well be the textbook definition of racism.

Yeah I saw what he said hence me saying that it’s bad.

Reply 6

Gazpacho.

11

Pleased to see Abbott has reported him to the police.

Reply 7

Gazpacho.

11

Original post by Talkative Toad

I like to look at what’s actually being said before making a judgement in these kinds of matters but wow, that was bad (what got said).
I don’t understand why you’d want to be a party donor to the conservatives in this current climate.

Hester is the CEO of The Phoenix Partnership. They have received multimillion pound contracts from the Conservative government.

The £10 million is best viewed not as a donation but as an investment that is making Hester a tidy return.

Reply 8

erin11

OP

Debate & Current Affairs Helper, Study Forum Helper

16

Original post by Gazpacho.

Pleased to see Abbott has reported him to the police.

Rightly so!!

Reply 9

StriderHort

21

Original post by Talkative Toad

I like to look at what’s actually being said before making a judgement in these kinds of matters but wow, that was bad (what got said).
I don’t understand why you’d want to be a party donor to the conservatives in this current climate.

"I don’t understand why you’d want to be a party donor to the conservatives in this current climate."

Knighthood/Peerage

Original post by StriderHort

"I don’t understand why you’d want to be a party donor to the conservatives in this current climate."

Knighthood/Peerage

Probably that honestly

Original post by Gazpacho.

Hester is the CEO of The Phoenix Partnership. They have received multimillion pound contracts from the Conservative government.

The £10 million is best viewed not as a donation but as an investment that is making Hester a tidy return.

I see.

Reply 11

StriderHort

21

I like how a few days after Michael Gove came out all draconian about how extremists and people without confidence in the government need to be frozen out of democracy and not engaged with he's having to do a screaming U turn and claim that racism isn't really extreme and it's totally ok to take the money. We should immediately forgive the person who is still lying about what they said out of 'Christian Charity' apparently. :rolleyes:

Reply 12

Kutie Karen

19

_{I don't get why Diane Abbot was not give a chance to speak at PMQs yesterday. Does not seem fair!}

Reply 13

StriderHort

21

Original post by Kutie Karen

_{I don't get why Diane Abbot was not give a chance to speak at PMQs yesterday. Does not seem fair!}

She wasn't randomly called and the random picker had already picked more Labour people than Government giving the speaker less options to call her, also after the last few weeks the speakers authority has been severely weakened so you can't really expect him to go out of his way to bend the rules for her

There's reasons for and against letting her speak and the speaker will get criticised either way, but it does need to be taken into account she is currently suspended for race issues herself and then narrative she seems to be going for is that this racism cancels out hers, which I don't think the Labour party will be overly pleased about.

In reality this conversation isn't really about Diane Abbot, It's about Frank Hester and the Tories relationship with him.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 14

2WheelGod

10

Original post by Gazpacho.

Hester is the CEO of The Phoenix Partnership. They have received multimillion pound contracts from the Conservative government.
The £10 million is best viewed not as a donation but as an investment that is making Hester a tidy return.

I think the technical term is "bribe".

Reply 15

2WheelGod

10

Original post by StriderHort

"I don’t understand why you’d want to be a party donor to the conservatives in this current climate."
Knighthood/Peerage

Contracts/special access to ministers, etc....

Reply 16

imlikeahermit

14

So racism costs about £10m, essentially. James O’Brien summing it up perfectly this past week. How racist can you be for £10m? Imagine what £100m would get you…

Reply 17

Trinculo

21

Original post by Gazpacho.

Pleased to see Abbott has reported him to the police.

Yet again, using law to do politics. It's plainly wrong. Wait until people start reporting Diane Abbott for all the racist things she's done. Of course there will be nothing done about it - leading to even more fracturing of political discourse in the country.

Reply 18

Trinculo

21

Original post by imlikeahermit

So racism costs about £10m, essentially. James O’Brien summing it up perfectly this past week. How racist can you be for £10m? Imagine what £100m would get you…

James o'Brien is the lowest form of life on earth.

Reply 19

Gazpacho.

11

Original post by Trinculo

Yet again, using law to do politics. It's plainly wrong. Wait until people start reporting Diane Abbott for all the racist things she's done. Of course there will be nothing done about it - leading to even more fracturing of political discourse in the country.

We’ve had two MPs murdered in the last few years.

The government has just announce it been forced to spend tens of millions more on MPs security because of the harassment, office attacks and death threats MPs are facing.

You may not see the issue here but those of us who value civil society and law and order certainly do when someone says an MP should be shot.

BBC: Tory donor accused of racist remarks about Diane Abbott

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