Is Britain a racist country? The Conservatives’ biggest donor is in the spotlight for allegedly making racist remarks — and the party has made things worse by being slow to criticise him.
An ugly problem and the man who sums it up
Is Britain a racist country? The Conservatives' biggest donor is in the spotlight for allegedly making racist remarks - and the party has made things worse by being slow to criticise him.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">What's happening?</h2>
Frank Hester told his staff: "I try not to be sexist, but... It's like trying not to be racist but you see Diane AbbottThe first Black woman to be elected to the UK Parliament and one of the country's first Black MPs. 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".
Hester's computer company TPP has earned over £400m from the government, notes The Guardian newspaper, and he has given £10m to the Conservative PartyA British political party. Members are known as Tories..
Hester's remarks about Abbott were made in 2019. In the same year he told staff that although he made a lot of jokes about racismPrejudice or discrimination due to a person's race or ethnicity. he hated prejudiceAn idea about something, especially a group of people, that is not based on reality. .
TPP says that Hester has tried to apologise to Abbott and sees racism as "a poison".
Abbott was suspendedWhen a privilege or role is temporarily taken away from someone. from the LabourBritain's main left-of-centre political party. party last year for claiming that Irish people, Jews and Travellers were not affected by racism as much as Black people were.
At first, the governmentThe group of people who govern - or lead - the country. refused to call Hester's remarks racist. But it later said they were.
This raises some troubling questions:
Immoral money Can politicians be influenced by people who donate money to their parties?
Legal enlightenment Can laws stop racism? Britain banned all forms of discriminationWhen people are treated unfairly due to characteristics such as gender, race and age. in 1976, but we still see discrimination.
School rules Are teachers the best people teach us moral values? What happens if parents have a different view?
Bad jokes Should only members of a particular racial group be allowed to talk about their ethnicityGroups of people with a shared culture, language, history and set of traditions.?
Blind bias? Can people be racist without realising it? Some say no, when race is such a hotly debated issue. Others claim that everyone is racist, without realising it.
Generalising despising Some people hate an entire community because of a meeting just one member of it. How can this be prevented?
<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Find out more</h2>
Yes! It clearly is when someone like Frank Hester can be accepted into the heart of the Establishment, welcomed as the Conservatives' biggest donor ever and awarded the OBEThe Order of the British Empire, a lesser honour than a CBE..
No! If it were, Rishi Sunak would not be prime minister. A survey last year found that only 2% of Britons felt uncomfortable about the idea of living next to someone of a different race.
Diane Abbott - The first Black woman to be elected to the UK Parliament and one of the country's first Black MPs.
Conservative party - A British political party. Members are known as Tories.
Racism - Prejudice or discrimination due to a person's race or ethnicity.
Prejudice - An idea about something, especially a group of people, that is not based on reality.
Suspended - When a privilege or role is temporarily taken away from someone.
Labour - Britain's main left-of-centre political party.
Government - The group of people who govern - or lead - the country.
Discrimination - When people are treated unfairly due to characteristics such as gender, race and age.
Ethnicity - Groups of people with a shared culture, language, history and set of traditions.
OBE - The Order of the British Empire, a lesser honour than a CBE.
An ugly problem and the man who sums it up

Glossary
Diane Abbott - The first Black woman to be elected to the UK Parliament and one of the country’s first Black MPs.
Conservative party - A British political party. Members are known as Tories.
Racism - Prejudice or discrimination due to a person's race or ethnicity.
Prejudice - An idea about something, especially a group of people, that is not based on reality.
Suspended - When a privilege or role is temporarily taken away from someone.
Labour - Britain's main left-of-centre political party.
Government - The group of people who govern - or lead - the country.
Discrimination - When people are treated unfairly due to characteristics such as gender, race and age.
Ethnicity - Groups of people with a shared culture, language, history and set of traditions.
OBE - The Order of the British Empire, a lesser honour than a CBE.