Tory chair refuses to say whether party took further £5m from Frank Hester

Richard Holden says Hester apologised for remarks about Diana Abbott and ‘we should accept that’

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The Conservative party chair, Richard Holden, has four times refused to say whether the party continues to take millions from its biggest donor, Frank Hester, after it was revealed that the businessman had made comments condemned as racist and misogynistic.

Holden said he could not comment on whether the Tories had recently accepted £5m, after it emerged that Hester told colleagues in 2019 that looking at Diane Abbott made one “want to hate all black women” and said she “should be shot”.