The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has condemned the racist remarks allegedly made by a top Tory donor.
According to the Guardian, Frank Hester, who has given £10m to the Tories in the past year, made racist comments about leftwing MP Diane Abbott at a meeting in 2019, including that she made him "want to hate all black women".
Mr Khan said the comments were "clearly racist and despicable." There has been increasing pressure on the Conservatives to return the money donated by Mr Hester.
"There should be no place in British political life for these sorts of comments," Mr Khan added.
Report by Kennedyl.
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Labour closes in on a London mayoral victory for Sadiq Khan on Saturday. With just five of 14 constituencies declared, London’s Labour incumbent Mr Khan was leading with over 427,000 votes, with Ms Hall just over 234,000. The total turnout in the election is 2,495,621, with fewer than half of the results yet to be declared. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Labour's Sadiq Khan will secure a historic third term as London mayor, seeing off Tory challenger Susan Hall, according to Sky News projections. Sky News
London Mayor Sadiq Khan was seen petting his family dog after making a visit to a local polling station as local and mayoral elections begin across England.
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has denied he will introduce 'pay per mile' road charging in the capital were he to be elected for a third term.
Instead, he said he wants to continue to improve public transport in the capital - starting with ensuring all buses across the network were zero emission. Report by Alibhaiz. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Conservative London mayoral candidate, Susan Hall, launched her election campaign on Sunday in Uxbridge, with a focus on ULEZ, crime and housing. The Member of the London Assembly, who is Sadiq Khan’s main challenger in the upcoming election, explained her low-key launch. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has spoken out about the Tory donor racism row, describing the media's "relentless focus" on the controversy as "trivial." Frank Hester, one of the Conservative Party's top donors, allegedly said left-wing MP Diane Abbott "should be shot" at a private meeting in 2019. "I think this belief that we should not be able to move on and accept when someone has made an apology for historical comments and treat them as if they are contemporary is a problem," she added.
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Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth urges Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to "grow a backbone" and pay back the £10 million donated by Frank Hester after the businessman reportedly made racist comments about black MP Diane Abbott. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Transport Secretary Mark Harper declines to say whether Frank Hester has donated an extra five million pounds to the Conservative Party, refusing to comment on "hypothetical" questions. Mr Hester allegedly said in 2019 that Diane Abbott, Britain's longest-serving black MP, made him "want to hate all black women" and that she "should be shot". Reports emerged this week that Mr Hester may have offered £5 million more, which has not yet been published by the Electoral Commission. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
A group of voters in Diane Abbott's constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington appear to agree she should have the Labour whip reinstated. Abbott was suspended from the party after she wrote a letter that said Jewish people experience prejudice, not racism. But since then, Conservative Party donor Frank Hester allegedly aimed racist and misogynist remarks towards the independent MP, which has sparked a debate about whether she should be welcomed back into the Labour party in a show of solidarity. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says the Conservative Party "fully complies with all the requirements to be transparent about donations", as reports claim Frank Hester made a further £5m donation to the party. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had already faced pressure to return Frank Hester's £10m donation after he made alleged racist and misogynistic remarks about Diane Abbott. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Rishi Sunak experienced a significant by-election setback and faces further pain in council contests across England. Labour's Chris Webb secured victory in the parliamentary seat of Blackpool South, marking a noteworthy swing of 26.33% from the Tories. This victory for Sir Keir Starmer's party was accompanied by successful council wins in areas poised to be critical battlegrounds in upcoming general election.
Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Rishi Sunak experienced a significant by-election setback and faces further pain in council contests across England. Labour's Chris Webb secured victory in the parliamentary seat of Blackpool South, marking a noteworthy swing of 26.33% from the Tories. This victory for Sir Keir Starmer's party was accompanied by successful council wins in areas poised to be critical battlegrounds in upcoming general election. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has renewed his demand for Rishi Sunak to go to the polls after the prime minister suffered a by-election drubbing and bruising.. Sky News
In a speech alongside newly elected MP Chris Webb, Sir Keir Starmer said the result in Blackpool South had sent a message “directly to the Prime Minister” demanding a change. Labour’s Chris Webb won the Blackpool South parliamentary seat with a swing of 26.33% from the Tories. Report by Gluszczykm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
There was good news for Labour deep in the so-called “blue wall” of the traditional Conservative heartland of Hampshire. The party gained seven seats and a majority on Rushmoor council, an area that includes the army town of Aldershot, while the Tories lost eight seats and overall control. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The Conservative Party has suffered its worst electoral defeat in years, losing more than half of its councillors who stood for re-election across England. Sky News
Jeremy Corbyn joined the rally in support of Diane Abbott. Former Labour leader called the abuse that Abbott receives 'abominable, almost unbelievable'. Diane Abbott thanked residents of Hackney for 'decades of support' and urged them to ''make sure generations of young black people don't have to suffer the racism that we had to suffer''. Report by Gluszczykm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Science Minister Andrew Griffith says that people voting for Reform UK is partly to blame for disappointing local election results for the Conservative party. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Ed Davey has said the Liberal Democrats are doing "better than expected" in the local elections and that voters are switching to his party because they "have had enough of being taken for granted and being let down". The party's leader spoke from Winchester, a seat he thinks the Lib Dems could take at the next general election. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The Labour leader hailed the win by his party’s candidate David Skaith in the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election, an area he described as “the heart of Tory territory”. Appearing at Northallerton Town Football Club with new mayor Mr Skaith, Sir Keir said: “It’s an amazing moment in history, to have a Labour victory here.''
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Conservative's Lord Houchen who has just has won a third term as Tees Valley mayor vowed to work with whoever is the prime minister after the general election. Ben Houchen praised the Labour leader for wanting to give mayors more power.
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After counting more than two million votes cast in the English council elections, a provisional National Share Estimate shows the Conservatives on just 26% of.. Sky News
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