It’s been another deeply uncomfortable day for the Tories, where the line to take on an issue of racism has collapsed at the last minute. Unsurprisingly, that collapse has also once again involved Kemi Badenoch.
Ministers and Downing Street have spent the day refusing to say the word ‘racist’ when discussing the comments made by party donor Frank Hester about Diane Abbott. To recap, he was reported by the Guardian to have said in 2019 that ‘you see Diane Abbott on the TV, and you’re just like … you just want to hate all Black women because she’s there. And I don’t hate all black women at all, but I think she should be shot.’
This is not the first time ministers have spent all day on message, only for that message to be blown out of the water by Badenoch
Hester has now apologised for the comments, something Graham Stuart and Downing Street have leaned on heavily when asked whether what he said was ‘racist’.
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