BRITAIN’S LONGEST-serving Black MP Diane Abbott has said comments allegedly made by a top Tory donor that the MP made him “want to hate all Black women” and that she needed “to be shot” were “frightening”.
Yesterday The Guardian reported that Frank Hester, an entrepreneur who has reportedly donated £10 million to the party, made the remarks in 2019 during a meeting at his company’s headquarters. He allegedly made the remarks while criticising another female executive.
He has since apologised for what he describes as his “rude” remarks directed towards the Hackney and Stoke Newington MP insisting that his comments “had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin”.
In a statement to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, responding to the comments Abbott said: “It is frightening. I live in Hackney and do not drive so I find myself at weekends popping on a bus or even walking places more than most MPs. I am a single woman and that makes me vulnerable anyway. But to hear someone talking like this is worrying.”
She also said the “fact that two MPs have been murdered in recent years makes talk like this all the more alarming”.
Hester, who gave the Conservatives £10m last year, made remarks about Abbott while criticising a female executive at another organisation during a meeting at his company’s headquarters.
Earlier today (March 12) senior Tory minister Mel Stride defended Hester. He said that claiming that while Hester’s comments “were clearly inappropriate” people should “move on”.
Speaking to broadcasters, Stride said: “I think the critical point here is I don’t think what he was saying was a gender-based or a race-based comment, but it was clearly inappropriate.”
However leading Black politicians and commentators were among those who took to social media to swiftly condemn Hester’s remarks.
Among them were lorence Eshalomi, Labour MP for Vauxhall wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “This is absolutely disgusting and disgraceful. So she should be ‘shot’ just because she is a black woman. You may disagree with someone, not share their views and opinions but to incite racist hate is totally unacceptable.”
Dawn Butler, MP for Brent Central wrote: “This vile man has now been bombarding Diane with messages. Every single MP incl @RishiSunak needs to call this out You can not be selective about MPs safety because this racist gives you £10m! Diane now being hounded this is unacceptable If anyone knows him ask him to STOP.”
A post from the Labour Party demanded: “Rishi Sunak, return the money your party has been given by Frank Hester.”
Comments Form
5 Comments
Disgusting. Who is the little flea. Everybody should avoid him like the bubonic plague.
The 18 African-heritage Parliamentarian, of both political parties, are directly to blame for this latest outrage against the Rt Hon Diane Abbott MP, by the Conservative donor Mr Frank Hester.
The 18 African-heritage Parliamentarian have allowed the Rt Hon Diane Abbott MP to be cruelly abused for decades from her Caucasian Labour colleagues.
Today it is a Conservative Party donor, directing his awful intention against the Rt Hon Diane Abbott MP, and by logical extension all independent thinking African-heritage women.
England’s African-heritage people are let down by the total failure of the 18 African-heritage Parliamentarians, to create a treasury funded Parliamentary Lobby; specifically for His Majesty’s African-heritage Subjects, in line with other ethnic, sexual, and religious minorities.
We must all stand up for Diane Abbot. The first black female mp. À security task force required. We black women all vulnerable. I know to my own experience of racism n sexism n bullying in workplace. After 40 years. I met diane at various rally more recently regarding the forde report and at many community meetings ……touch one touch all. Glenis
The fact that Mr Hester stated that Ms Abbott should be shot is grounds for Mr Hester to arrest, as his comments is a threat to somebody’s life. If I threaten someone that I am going to shoot him or her, or I am going to kill him/her, and this threat is reported to the police, the police is going to come and arrest me. Why can’t this same scenario applies to Mr Hester?
It makes me want to hate all wealthy and privileged white men particularly Frank Hester. Voice readers please excuse my intemperate language, which should not be mistaken for racism, when in fact it’s simply rudeness towards Frank Hester. Indeed, his depraved, gratuitous verbal assault on Diane Abbott leads me to suspect that he might even be a dangerous misogynist to say the least. I bet the tabloids such as the Sun, Daily Mail and Daily Express agree with him. After all they have fanned the flames of racism towards Diane for many years. There is money to be made from racism towards black people! Meghan Markle, you escaped a fate worse than death when you returned to the USA.
Frank Hesters’s donations to the Conservative Party render him immune to criticism by his beneficiaries. Perhaps the current Prime Minister, concurs with this attitude towards Diane Abbott, an exemplary, resilient, long suffering black politician. We are all supporting you Diane ! Please don’t accept an apology from a man who has more money than decency.
Regards,
A black man