Great Britain: Racism issue throws Sunak into trouble – Politics

For Michael Coe, the matter is quite simple. Yes, Britain's housing minister told Sky News TV on Thursday that, of course, the statements made by party donor Frank Hester were “horrific” and “racist”, but if someone apologized, “my natural desire is for Christian forgiveness to prevail”. However, Go's lavish words are not expected to end the matter. The Frank Hester matter was, as of Thursday, out of the Tories' control.

Frank Hester is a 57-year-old wealthy businessman from Leeds who founded The Phoenix Partnership (TPP), a software company specializing in healthcare. Between 2019 and 2022, the TPP was awarded several contracts for the National Health Service NHS, reportedly costing £135m in total. Hester was TPP's sole shareholder at the time, which is why he wanted it Guardian Last year it received more than £20 million in dividends.

Hester donated over ten million pounds

As the epidemic subsided, Hester donated money to the Tories for the first time. From February to December 2023, the government's donation register shows, he transferred a total of £5.17 million to the Conservatives in six installments through his company – and in May 2023 he added a further five million from his personal coffers. At over ten million pounds, Hester is currently the second biggest Tory donor.

Now at the beginning of this week expressed Guardian After months of research, the five-year-old but not the radical process. Hester told her company in 2019 that she's not racist, but when you see Diane Abbott, “You hate all black women.” He doesn't hate all black women, but he thinks “Diane Abbott should be shot.” Abbott, 70, is the longest-serving black MP in the British Parliament; He was a Labor MP until he was suspended from the Parliamentary Committee in April 2023 after writing in an open letter: For example, the racism experienced by Jews is worse than the racism suffered by black people. Since then he has been sitting in parliament as a non-party member.

Hester lets it be known that her words are accepted as “rude,” which can be translated as “uncivilized” or “careless.” He tried to personally apologize to Abbott. Throughout Monday and Tuesday, Downing Street defended Hester, and several ministers repeated in interviews with the government that Hester's words were “wrong” and that she had apologised. It was only on Tuesday evening – after black minister Kemi Patenoch and other Tory figures condemned Hester's comments as “racist” – that Sunak's spokesman admitted Hester's statements were “racist”.

For weeks now, British conservatives have had to justify statements, some of which are Islamophobic or racist. More recently, Lee Anderson – until recently deputy parliamentary committee leader – said, among other things, that the Labor mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was “controlled by Islamists”. Anderson was kicked out of the parliamentary committee for this, but Downing Street only half-heartedly criticized him.

Return the lakhs? The Tories can't afford it

On Monday this week, Anderson announced he would leave the Tories entirely and join Reform UK. It is the honorary leader and face of right-wing minor party populist firebrand Nigel Farage. Wednesday, at Prime Minister's QuestionsLee Anderson sat in the back row of the House of Commons, right, on the opposition side. Downstairs, in the “Despatch Box”, his former boss Rishi Sunak is repeatedly asked about Frank Hester.

Sunak repeatedly responded word-for-word: “His comments were offensive and racist, and he apologized for them and must accept that regret.” Will the Tories return the ten million to Hester? “No,” Sunak said. Even the Tories can't afford to lose ten million in donations in an election year.

Sunak's handling of the Hester affair now puts him in a difficult position. Even within her own party, the fact that she didn't lead to labeling Hester's blatantly racist views was frowned upon. British media reported on Thursday that several cabinet ministers had met before the election to discuss how to replace Sunak.