Major donor to Britain’s Conservatives blasted for remarks about Black lawmaker

By BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A major donor to Britain’s ruling Conservative Party is under fire because he said a Black member of Parliament made him “want to hate all Black women” and that she “should be shot.” Frank Hester, chief executive of health care software firm The Phoenix Partnership, made the comments about Diane Abbott, the first Black woman elected to Parliament, during a company meeting in 2019. On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the remarks “racist and wrong.” Opposition parties say the Tories should return the 10 million pounds Hester donated last year. Hester says he apologized to Abbott but insists his rude words weren’t related to her gender or skin color.