Key Highlights:
- Rishi Sunak reportedly took a £16,000 helicopter trip to Leeds last year, courtesy of businessman Frank Hester
- Sunak is now facing demands to disclose the nature of his relationship with Hester, especially in light of alleged derogatory remarks made by the donor about MP Diane Abbott, suggesting she made him feel like ‘hating all black women’ and stating that she ‘should be shot’
- British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak found himself compelled to defend the Conservative Party during Wednesday’s session on March 13th
The United Kingdom’s political scene has been stirred by a race-related dispute involving Rishi Sunak, the British Prime Minister. This controversy centers on Frank Hester, the CEO of healthcare software firm The Phoenix Partnership (TPP), and a prominent donor to the Conservative Party.
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Reportedly, Rishi Sunak took a £16,000 helicopter trip to Leeds last year, courtesy of businessman Frank Hester, raising concerns about whether Hester’s £10 million in donations to the Tory party have granted him privileged access to the prime minister. Sunak is now facing demands to disclose the nature of his relationship with Hester, especially in light of alleged derogatory remarks made by the donor about MP Diane Abbott, suggesting she made him feel like ‘hating all black women’ and stating that she ‘should be shot’.
The prime minister has faced criticism this week for his handling of the situation, initially refraining from labeling the remarks as ‘racist’ until Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch publicly condemned them as such.
The Initiation of the Controversy
Rishi Sunak’s visit occurred approximately 3 weeks following the additional £5 million contribution from Mr. Hester’s software firm, the Phoenix Partnership (TPP), to Sunak’s party in November.
Prior to this, Mr. Hester had already made an individual donation of £5 million in May, with another £5 million reportedly being considered. On November 23, Mr. Sunak was photographed meeting small business owners at a jewelry studio in Farsley, West Yorkshire.
Mr. Hester has regretted his ‘rude’ remarks regarding Ms. Abbott, yet he maintained that they were unrelated to her gender or race. The prime minister has asserted that the donor’s apology should be acknowledged, rejecting demands to return his £10 million donations amidst the controversy.
The Reaction
Ms. Abbott stated that no conservative had extended an apology to her following the revelation of Mr. Hester’s verbal attack in 2019. The seasoned MP emphasized, “They keep asserting that Hester has apologized. He hasn’t. His apology only addresses his rudeness, overlooking the racist nature of his remarks and his failure to apologize for inciting violence.”
Labor Party Chairwoman Anneliese Dodds criticized Mr. Hester’s remarks as “disgusting” and pointed out their apparent racism and misogyny. She deemed Mr. Sunak’s decision to retain these donations as unacceptable.
“The prime minister must urgently confirm what was discussed, and whether Frank Hester’s contract running over 60% of confidential UK health data or Government AI policy came up. And Rishi Sunak needs to grow a backbone, pay this money back, cut ties and deal with the extreme views that appear to be tolerated in his party.”
– Anneliese Dodds, Chairwoman, Labor Party.
Sunak’s Defense: A Unifier or Tongue-Tied Sophist?
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak found himself compelled to defend the Conservative Party during Wednesday’s session on March 13th. In response to a direct inquiry from Labor MP Marsha de Cordova during Prime Minister’s Questions regarding the return of a helicopter donation, Sunak stated firmly, ‘No.’
He went on to express satisfaction that the donor was supporting a party representing one of the most diverse governments in the nation’s history, under the leadership of the first British Asian prime minister.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has maintained his stance against reinstating Ms. Abbott as a Labor MP, urged the Prime Minister to exhibit the determination to return the £10 million. Sir Keir questioned whether the Prime Minister took pride in being financially supported by someone who had used racist and misogynistic language, citing remarks about Ms. Abbott that suggested she ‘makes you want to hate all black women.’
Sunak addressed the issue by stating, “The alleged comments were wrong, they were racist, and he has rightly apologized for them, and that remorse should be accepted.” He emphasized that racism has no place in Britain and reiterated that the government he leads is proof of this commitment.
Sir Keir also remarked that Sunak’s attempt to portray himself as a unifier in his speech on extremism outside Downing Street was now revealing him as “tongue-tied, shrinking in sophistry, hoping he can deflect long enough for it all to dissipate.”
Scottish National Party (SNP) Westminster leader Stephen Flynn urged the PM to return the donations, accusing him of prioritizing money over morals.
“Mr. Sunak’s defense of Mr. Hester is complete rubbish and the businessman is a racist who was downright bloody dangerous. Isn’t the extremism that we should all be worried about are the views of those Tory donors that we’ve read about this week?”
– Stephen Flynn, SNP Westminster leader
Hester’s Comments: Unverified, Unsettling, Unprecedented!
While the comments attributed to Hester have garnered widespread attention, their accuracy, as well as whether Hester indeed uttered them, remains unverified. Hester, allegedly made remarks suggesting insensitivity towards Indians in a private meeting several years ago and proposed an unconventional solution for overcrowded meetings by suggesting climbing onto a train roof.
During the meeting, he purportedly expressed anticipation for a trip to Malaysia to make jokes, implying a lack of sensitivity towards Malaysian people. Although Hester has apologized, he stopped short of acknowledging any racist intent, attributing his comments to rudeness towards Abbott. Furthermore, he neither confirmed nor denied making the reported remarks.
The Tories’ response to Hester’s donations remains uncertain. Despite calls for the return of his donations, the party has resisted thus far, but mounting pressure may compel them to act to mitigate the issue. Additionally, the Tories have not ruled out accepting further contributions from Hester in the future.
In conclusion, Rishi Sunak’s approval ratings, along with those of his party, remain low. It remains to be seen whether the controversy surrounding the reported remarks will further damage the prime minister politically. Tory MPs may be divided on whether this issue warrants consideration for Sunak’s replacement before a general election or not.
