Abbott reacts after Speaker ignores her on race row despite standing up 46 times
Diane Abbott has responded after the Speaker failed to call her at PMQs - despite standing up in the Commons to catch his attention 46 times.
In a fiery exchange Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, and other MPs discussed a Tory donor's alleged racist comments about the UK's longest-serving Black MP.
They all had an opportunity to comment on businessman Frank Hester allegedly saying that seeing Ms Abbott on TV made him "want to hate all Black women" and that she should be "shot" in a meeting in 2019 reported by the Guardian. He denied his comments had anything to do with her race or her gender.
But Ms Abbott, who according to Sky News stood up during the session 46 times in a bid to catch Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle's eye, was not called to ask the PM a question.
The move led to intense criticism of the Speaker from some Labour MPs. Responding in an article for The Guardian, Ms Abbott, the former Shadow Home Secretary, said: "Over the nearly 40 years that I have been an MP, under any speaker of the House of Commons that I can remember, I would have been called." She added: "I thought, in particular, that I would’ve been called on Wednesday, because Hester’s abusive comments about me had led the news bulletins that day, and I was referred to several times in PMQs itself.
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"I cannot say why Lindsay Hoyle would not call me. He claimed there wasn’t enough time after going through those listed on the order paper. But I’m not convinced – and, the truth is, he can call on whoever he likes." Ms Abbott, writing on Twitter /X also said: "I don't know whose interests the Speaker thinks he is serving. But it is not the interests of the Commons or democracy."
On Wednesday a spokeswoman for the Speaker defended the decision and explained that due to PMQs' processes "there was not enough time to call all Members who wanted to ask a question". She said: "During Prime Minister’s Questions, the Speaker must select MPs from either side of the House on an alternating basis for fairness. This takes place within a limited time frame, with the Chair prioritising Members who are already listed on the Order Paper. This week - as is often the case - there was not enough time to call all Members who wanted to ask a question.”
During the PMQs session, Mr Sunak, who described the Tory megadonor's comments as "racist", resisted calls to hand back £10million in donations to his party.
Labour MP Marsha de Cordova challenged Mr Sunak to give back money donated by Mr Hester. She said: "The Prime Minister stood outside Downing Street saying that he wanted to root out hate and extremism, yet it shamefully took him more than 24 hours to finally say the remarks by the Tories' biggest donor - that looking at ( Diane Abbott ) makes you want to hate all black women - were indeed racist.
"In November the Prime Minister accepted a non-cash donation to the tune of £15,000 from Frank Hester for the use of his helicopter. So will he reimburse him, yes or no?" Mr Sunak replied: "No and I'm pleased that the gentleman is supporting a party that represents one of the most diverse governments in this country's history led by this country's first British-Asian Prime Minister."
In a statement on Monday, a spokesperson from Mr Hester's company The Phoenix Partnership said: "Frank Hester accepts that he was rude about Diane Abbott in a private meeting several years ago but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin. The Guardian is right when it quotes Frank saying he abhors racism, not least because he experienced it as the child of Irish immigrants in the 1970’s.
"He rang Diane Abbott twice today to try to apologise directly for the hurt he has caused her, and is deeply sorry for his remarks. He wishes to make it clear that he regards racism as a poison which has no place in public life."
At the end of PMQs on Wednesday the Labour leader Mr Starmer went over to speak to a frustrated-looking Ms Abbott at the end of PMQs. Ms Abbott, who is currently suspended from Labour, confirmed she told Mr Starmer he could restore the whip when he asked her if there was anything he could do. In response, Mr Starmer said: "I understand." The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington and former Shadow Home Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership has sat as independent since April last year after Labour withdrew the whip following comments over the Jewish, Irish and Traveller communities. She is awaiting the outcome of an investigation."
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