‘Donor row continues to dominate as Sunak won’t give the £10m back’ – Paper Talk

Thursday’s front pages report on the ongoing row over alleged comments made by Tory donor Frank Hester about MP Diane Abbott. Hester – who donated £10m to the Conservative Party last year, reportedly said Abbott made him “want to hate all black women,” and said she “should be shot.” 

The government’s new official definition of extremism has been revealed and made the front pages elsewhere. 

How these two topics are covered massively highlights the bias in the papers. Most left-leaning newspapers lead with the Frank Hester story, whilst it is largely ignored on the front pages of the right-leaning newspapers, who instead focus on the government’s new extremism definition, immigration or fears over the current wars in Europe & the Middle East.

‘Will the Tories return the £10m?’

Several articles in Thursday’s newspapers discuss the possibility of the Conservative Party returning the millions of pounds donated by Frank Hester.

The front page of The i highlights that Hester contributed £10.2 million to the party last year, more than a fifth of its total donations, and suggests that returning the money could pose a financial challenge.

The Daily Mirror condemns the situation as “a new low” for the Conservatives, reporting that several senior party members have called for the return of the funds due to the racist nature of the remarks attributed to Hester. However, it also quotes business minister Kevin Hollinrake, who defends Hester against the accusation of racism and suggests the party should consider accepting further donations from him.

In an article for The Guardian, MP Diane Abbott accuses the Conservative Party of exploiting racial issues for political gain, citing examples such as the Rwanda asylum policy and increased scrutiny on extremists, which she perceives as targeting Muslims. She expresses disappointment, though not surprised, at the reported remarks made by Hester.

‘Govt new definition of extremism’ 

Multiple newspapers cover the government’s proposal to introduce a revised definition of extremism.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Muslim organisations inciting hatred will be named and shamed. The Times reports that the initiative aims to counter an increase in far-right movements, alongside instances of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hostility. It says a list of banned groups will be released soon. Meanwhile, The Guardian says the groups would have no way to appeal, and would, in effect, be cancelled by the government.

‘Sunak to ban foreign state ownership of UK news’ 

The FT’s front page reports PM Rishi Sunak is pressing for a change in the law which would “kill off” a planned takeover of the Telegraph by an Abu Dhabi-backed wealth fund. The PM has proposed changes to legislation which would stop any foreign state from having influence or control over a UK news organisation. 

Elsewhere, other UK domestic stories find space on the front pages.

The Daily Mail says Grant Shapps has backed calls for the UK to increase its military budget to 3% of GDP. Shapps said he wanted more money to match the threat posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

A source within the Home Office tells the Daily Express that the government’s plans to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda are in a “good place.” The source says that whilst the first flights won’t take off in the days immediately after the legislation has passed, it also won’t take months.