Britain’s longest-serving black Member of Parliament was denied the opportunity to speak at least 46 times during a debate on racism

Diane Abbott, the first black woman elected and the longest-serving black member of Parliament, has sharply criticized British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for denying her the opportunity to ask questions during the debate about racist remarks that were allegedly made about her.

On Monday, The Guardian reported that Frank Hester, a conservative donor to the British Conservative Party, also often called the Tory Party, allegedly he said that Abbott “should be shot” and that “you just want to hate all black women for being there,” reportedly referring to Abbott during a 2019 meeting with colleagues.

During the weekly session titled “Prime Minister’s Questions”, Abbott was sitting in the House of Commons chamber negative the opportunity to ask the Prime Minister a query about Hester’s comments, even after standing up at least 46 times to get the speaker’s attention. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said Sunak ran out of time to answer questions and that “the Speaker must select MPs from both sides of the House alternately to maintain fairness.”

Shortly after this ordeal, Abbott went to X i he wrote“I don’t know whose interests the Speaker thinks he’s serving. But this is not in the interests of the House of Commons or democracy.”

In November 2023, Hester gifted Sunak a helicopter for a political visit price £15,000. However, in light of Hester’s controversial remarks, Sunak faced demands for the return of the gift. Sunak rejected these calls. Britain’s first Indian Prime Minister called Hester’s comments “racist” and stated that he accepted Hester’s apology.

Shortly after news broke of Hester’s controversial remarks about Abbott, she released a public statement that read, “It’s disturbing to hear someone talk like that.” She continued: “The fact that two parliamentarians have been murdered in recent years makes such conversations all the more disturbing.”

Abbott asked Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer to intervene and advocate on her behalf published article on Wednesday in The Independent titled “Yes, the Tories are outrageously racist and sexist – but Labor is guilty too.” She wrote: “The Tory party has a long history of inciting racism in this country, including against me personally.”

Abbott said she was targeted by a conservative political group during the 2017 general election when vans drove through the city with the slogan: “Do you really want Diane Abbott to be Home Secretary?” She also criticized the Tories for his or her “reluctance to call out racism and sexism”. She demanded a return of the 10 million British kilos ($12 million) that Hester donated to a political party last 12 months.

Abbott also condemned Labor for “delaying in publicizing” the abuse and downplaying Hester’s words.

“It should be abundantly clear that the comments reported … were both outrageously racist and sexist,” Abbott said.

Hester is now facing calls to step down as owner and CEO of The Phoenix Partnership over his controversial remarks. It comes after Abbott, who has been MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, has made headlines in the past for condemning racism.

In 2023, she wrote a letter to The Guardian’s Observer by which she wrote: “It is true that many types of white people with differences in points, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice.”

“But not all of their lives are subject to racism,” Abbott added. “In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote,” she continued. “At the height of slavery, there have been no white-looking people in chains. Slave ships.

The Labor Party took offense to her letter and suspended her from the party as Labor whip, making her an independent member of parliament.

Although she has since apologized for her comments, she continues to be under investigation for writing the letter. Once the investigation is complete, it can be determined whether Abbott will give you the chance to return to her position as labor whip.

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