A Tory frontbencher was left squirming over the party’s decision to accept another £5 million from a wealthy donor who said Diane Abbott “should be shot”.
Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins told LBC’s Nick Ferrari that she “distanced” herself from Frank Hester, who has now given the party a total of £20m.
But she dodged the question when asked whether the Conservatives should give the millionaire businessman his money back.
Ferrari asked her: “What does it say about the Conservative Party that they would take £5 million from a man with such racist views?”
Atkins replied: “I completely reject any of the comments that that individual is alleged to have made. I had nothing to do with fundraising in central office.
“What I do know is that we’re in the middle of a leadership election, and the future of the Conservative Party is being debated now. I am sure that the candidates involved will have answers to this.”
Asked if the money should be handed back, she said: “It’s not for me to get involved in party finances.”
But Ferrari fired back: “You can have a personal view. You were health secretary – goodness me, one of the main jobs. Were your counsel sought by the new leader, would you tell him or her, I think we should send the five million quid back?”
Atkins said that “fundraising in the future should be from a far wider base of people”.
She added: “You know, political parties cannot exist on air, we have to fundraise. The Labour Party rely on the trade unions, which is why they’re giving their trade union masters a pay deal.”
Ferrari then told her: “Well, the Conservative Party rely on businessmen with racist sentiments so I just wondered whether that £5 million should go back.”
A Labour source told HuffPost UK: “The Tories’ election campaign was funded by cash from a man who made abhorrent, racist comments.
“The Conservatives have offered no apology and they have no shame.
“If the Tories want to show the public that they’ve learnt anything from their staggering election defeat they should start by committing to never taking any money from Frank Hester again.”