Jamaica condemns Frank Hester’s Diane Abbott comments amid concern over contract

Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s culture minister: ‘That the woman of whom he spoke has Jamaican roots, made his statement a personal offence to me and all Black Jamaican women.’ Photograph: Guardian

The Jamaican government has joined widespread condemnation of comments by the Conservative’s party’s biggest donor, Frank Hester, amid concerns about a contract it signed with his digital health company.

Earlier in March, the Guardian revealed that during a meeting in 2019 Hester had said Diane Abbott, Britain’s first black female MP, made you “want to hate all black women” and that she “should be shot”, remarks that are now subject of an investigation by West Yorkshire police.