James Cleverly Faces Criticism Over Potential Future Donations from Frank Hester

Cleverly does not rule out accepting funds from Hester, who made racist remarks about Diane Abbott, as he bids for Conservative leadership.

James Cleverly, a Conservative leadership candidate, has not ruled out accepting future donations from Frank Hester, despite Hester's past racist comments about Labour MP Diane Abbott.
Hester has donated £15 million to the Conservative Party since 2023, including over £5 million during the general election campaign through his business, The Phoenix Partnership.
Cleverly emphasized that Hester had apologized for his comments and that the donations were made to safeguard against a Labour government.
Labour representatives criticized Cleverly, stating that he missed an opportunity to reject further donations from Hester, highlighting a perceived weakness in the Conservative leadership candidates.
Keir Starmer is also under scrutiny for allegedly breaking parliamentary rules by not declaring clothing gifts for his wife, Victoria, funded by Labour donor Lord Alli.