THE Scottish Conservatives have said the UK party should "carefully review donations" it has received from Frank Hester.
The comments have come in response to a letter from Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie urging Douglas Ross not to use funds donated by businessman Hester.
Hester - who has donated £10 million to the party - is alleged to have said Diane Abbott, Britain's longest-serving black MP, made him “want to hate all black women” and that she “should be shot” in comments uncovered by the Guardian.
In a letter to Ross, Baillie said Hester’s views were “abhorrent” and “racist and violent.”
In response, a Scottish Conservative spokesperson has said: “These comments were racist and wrong.
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"The Scottish Conservative Party has never accepted a donation from Frank Hester and the UK Conservative Party should carefully review the donations it has received from Hester in response to his remarks.”
Hester's comments were raised during Prime Minister's Questions as SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn branded Hester an "extremist" and "downright bloody outrageous".
He said: "The Conservative Party have accepted a £10m donation from an individual who has said that one of our parliamentary colleagues in this chamber should be shot. Why is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom putting money before morals?"
On Wednesday, a UK Government minister said the party will not hand back the donations from Hester despite mounting pressure and the Prime Minister accepting the comments were racist.
On Sky News, Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake was asked if he was comfortable spending money donated by Hester, responding: “On the basis he is not a racist, has apologised for what he said, yes.”
Pressed on whether the party would take more money from him, the minister told BBC Breakfast: “As I now understand the situation, yes.”
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