LONDON — A wealthy tech CEO who has made major donations to Britain’s ruling Conservative Party was blasted on Tuesday after saying Parliament’s only Black female member made him “want to hate all Black women” and that she “should be shot.”
The comments were reportedly made by Frank Hester, chief executive of The Phoenix Partnership, a healthcare software company. Hester made the racist comments about Diane Abbott, the first Black woman elected to Parliament, at a company meeting in 2019, the Guardian reported.
“It’s like trying not to be racist but you see Diane Abbott on the TV, and you’re just like … you just want to hate all Black women because she’s there. And I don’t hate all Black women at all, but I think she should be shot,” Hester said, according to the Guardian.
On Tuesday, opposition party leaders said the Tories should return the 10 million pounds ($12.8 million) Hester donated last year to conservatives.
Some members of the Conservative Party refused to describe Hester’s comments as racist; Prime Minister Rishi Sunak later denounced Hester’s comments following criticism from conservative Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch, who is Black.
More on the racist remarks made by Hester and backlash in Britain.
