The Conservative government in Britain has announced that it will not be returning a 10 million pounds ($12.8 million) donation received from IT entrepreneur Frank Hester, despite his racist comments towards Black lawmaker Diane Abbott. Hester, the chief executive of healthcare software firm The Phoenix Partnership, made derogatory remarks about Abbott during a company meeting in 2019, sparking outrage.
Hester's comments, which included expressing a desire to hate all Black women and suggesting that Abbott should be shot, have been widely condemned as racist. While Hester has admitted to being rude towards Abbott, he has denied being racist, stating that racism has no place in public life.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak initially criticized Hester's comments as unacceptable but later labeled them as racist following pressure from within his own party. Despite the backlash, Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake confirmed that the Conservative Party would not be returning the donation, emphasizing that Hester had apologized for his remarks and was not a racist.
Opposition politicians have criticized Sunak for accepting money from someone who made racist and misogynistic comments. However, Sunak defended the decision, highlighting the diversity of his Cabinet and the fact that Hester had been donating to a government led by the first non-white prime minister.
The controversy surrounding Hester's remarks has not affected his company's contracts with the National Health Service, where The Phoenix Partnership supplies medical-records software. Hester has denied any link between his donations to the Conservative Party and his firm's government contracts, stating that decisions on software usage are made by individual healthcare providers.
Abbott, Britain's longest-serving Black legislator, expressed concern over Hester's comments, particularly in light of recent violent incidents involving lawmakers. The police in London are currently assessing the matter following reports of Hester's controversial statements.
