Minister refuses to say whether Tories received extra £5m
Video Credit: ODN - Duration: 00:54s - Published
Minister refuses to say whether Tories received extra £5m
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.
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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
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
House of Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and Transport Secretary Mark Harper leave the Cabinet Office in Whitehall ahead of Jeremy Hunt's Budget announcement. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
House of Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and Transport Secretary Mark Harper arrive at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall ahead of Jeremy Hunt's Budget announcement. The chancellor is expected to announce a 2p National Insurance tax cut and a raft of other measures as he hopes to appease Tory voters. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Labour has won the Blackpool South parliamentary by-election, with Chris Webb securing 10,825 votes, a majority of 7,607. The contest was triggered by the resignation of former Tory MP Scott Benton following a lobbying scandal. The Tories avoided the humiliation of coming third in Blackpool South, but finished just 117 votes ahead of Reform UK. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The Tory mayor of the West Midlands is sending voters an endorsement from Boris Johnson which urges people to "forget about the government", Sky News can reveal. Sky News
Labour leader Keir Starmer has welcomed Dan Poulter to his party, saying his defection speaks for many Tory voters.
Mr Poulter, who is also a doctor, said he is unable to provide NHS patients with quality treatment due to the Tory's mismanagement of the health service. Report by Alibhaiz. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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
Councillor Dan Swords hails an "incredible" victory for Conservatives at Harlow Council, where the party's majority was cut from nine to a single seat. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Lord David Cameron says the UK is "once again absolutely leading the way" on the international stage in its support for Ukraine. The foreign secretary is visiting Kyiv after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak committed to giving the country £3bn every year "for as long as is necessary", as Russia's invasion continues. Cameron adds that the reccent US Congress vote to approve a $61bn aid package to Ukraine "should be celebrated". Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Kate Forbes has backed John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister of Scotland, in his bid to succeed Humza Yousaf as SNP leader and Scotland’s next first minister.
Report by Ajagbef. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Protests broke out in Peckham, London, over the planned transfer of asylum seekers to the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset.
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