‘No room for the Indians?’: Tory donor Frank Hester suggested staff climb on train roof

Exclusive: Revelation comes as comments made about Diane Abbott are widely condemned

The Conservative party’s biggest donor asked if there was “no room for the Indians” and suggested staff climb on a train roof during a crowded meeting, before saying he made “a lot of jokes about racism”.

Frank Hester, who has donated £10m to the Tories in the past year, also said he wanted to find jokes about Malaysian people during a trip to the country, the Guardian can reveal.