A SOMERSET MP has condemned a Tory donor’s alleged comments about Diane Abbott as “clearly racist and clearly completely wrong”.

Marcus Fysh (Con, Yeovil) was responding to remarks made by Frank Hester, who has given £10 million to the Conservative party in the past 12 months.

According to the Guardian, at a meeting in 2019, he said: “It’s like trying not to be racist but you see Diane Abbott on the TV, and you’re just like, you just want to hate all black women because she’s there.

“And I don’t hate all black women at all, but I think she should be shot.”

Downing Street initially refused to describe the comments as racist, but later released a statement which said they were “racist and wrong”.

Ms Abbott called the comments frightening, particularly with the recent murders of MPs Jo Cox and David Amess in 2016 and 2021 respectively.

READ MORE: Nick Clegg supports Yeovil parliamentary candidate Adam Dance 

Yesterday, Mr Fysh posted on X (formerly Twitter): “On this I side with Diane Abbott”.

On this I side with Diane Abbott.

— Marcus Fysh MP (@MarcusFysh) March 12, 2024

He later appeared on Sky News and said: “I don’t know this person who has supposed to have said [the remarks], but what’s been reported is clearly racist and clearly completely, completely wrong.

“You cannot say things like that, and I’m really sorry for all the people up and down the country who have been affected by that, including Diane.

“And while I don’t agree with her on an awful lot of things, I will defend her dignity as a person every day of the week.”

He went on to describe Rishi Sunak as a “good guy”, and celebrated his leadership in condemning the remarks “because that vision is what this next election is going to be about”.

The Conservative party has so far, however, refused to hand back the millions the businessman has donated, despite calls from Labour.