Lucy Powell calls on the Conservative Party to give Frank Hester ‘his money back’

Speaking after leader of the House Penny Mordaunt delivered the weekly business statement, Lucy Powell urged the Conservative Party to give donor Frank Hester “his money back”.

Powell said: “I had to check myself yesterday, Mr. Speaker, that the prime minister really said that he was pleased that this man who said a black woman MP [Diane Abbott] should be shot and the Indians should climb on the roof of trains, supported his party”.

She added: “Surely if he’s a racist, which he clearly is, he has no place in the Conservative Party and they should give him his money back”.

Penny Mordaunt responded: “She has stated that it is wrong to take funds from people who say horrible things no matter when they were said. And when there is an issue, funds should be returned.

“She has been clear about that today and she has said that that is the right thing to do if, for example, someone who has said of Hamas that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, as Dale Vince has said”.

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