Jonathan Ashworth deems Tories 'racist and reprehensible' on donor inaction
The MP said that the money should be given back
Last updated 17th Mar 2024
Leicester South MP Jonathan Ashworth has called the Conservative Party 'racist and reprehensible' due to the inaction the party is taking over the Tory donor scandal.
Ashworth, who represents a total of nearly 80,000 people, also said that the money should be given back.
The MP has criticised the time it took for Rishi Sunak to condemn racist remarks made by a conservative party donor about Labour MP Diane Abbott.
The racism row revolves around remarks by businessman and Tory donor Frank Hester, who allegedly said in 2019 that Ms Abbott, Britain's longest-serving black MP, made him "want to hate all black women" and that she "should be shot".
Hester has apologised for being "rude" about Abbott in a "private conversation", but insisted he did not make the specific remarks.
Jonathan spoke on the issue, giving his support to Abbott, who has called on Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer to restore the Labour whip to her.
"Obviously, it's been an absolutely horrendous week for Diane, I can't imagine what she's been going through," he explained.
"Imagine just waking up and reading the papers to find out that a prominent Conservative donor has not only used racist, reprehensible language about - that he's called for her to be shot ... I thought it was staggering that Rishi Sunak took 24 hours to acknowledge the racism of these remarks."
He added that the Conservative party are continuing to hold back on giving the money back, which for the politician "showed the depths that the Tories were willing to go to".
Shadow paymaster general Jonathan also said he thought people were "surprised" that MP Diane Abbott was not called to speak at Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) when the racism row centred on her was raised.
Speaking in an interview, he said: "Obviously, procedures in the House of Commons are a matter for the Speaker. I think people were surprised she wasn't called."
Diane Abbott raised from her seat a total of 46 times during the course of last week's Prime Minister's Questions, only for the Speaker not to let her address the House of Commons.
It comes following comments made by Tory ministers that confirmed that Rishi Sunak will lead the party into a general election later this year.
Cabinet minister Mark Harper insisted that Sunak will be present at the election, saying in an interview: "Yes he will. He will take us into that election and he will set out very clearly that we're a Government with a plan.
"I'm going to be supporting him all the way through, and I'm confident that my colleagues will. Politics is a team game."