Calls for Tory donor in race row to lose NHS contracts

Unions representing GPs and health workers have called on the Conservative donor Frank Hester to stand down from running NHS contracts, saying his “racist and misogynistic comments” breach its fit and proper person test.

- Daniel Boffey Rowena Mason Henry Dyer

Hester’s company TPP runs the electronic patient records of almost half the medical practices in the UK. His remarks about Diane Abbott have prompted calls for him to step aside amid a growing political row.

Downing Street refused to say how many times the prime minister has met the Conservative donor since he gave the party £10m.

The pair are believed to have met in the afternoon on the day after the autumn statement in November when Hester paid about £16,000 in travel costs for Sunak to fly to Leeds by helicopter for a political visit. Downing Street declined to “get into the details” of whether they met.

The Guardian can also reveal the pair were photographed together at a party fundraiser in June last year.

It is understood the health tech entrepreneur attended at least two party events in London: the Conservatives’ main summer party in central London last June, where they were photographed, and another just two weeks ago.

Hester, who has worked on artificial intelligence as part of his IT business, has previously said he has had “some quite long conversations with Rishi about AI”.

He also tweeted about witnessing a “brilliant AI discussion between Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk” in November last year.

Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s chair, said Sunak must be clear about their relationship.

“Rishi Sunak has shown he is just too weak to pay back his millions and cut ties completely. Rishi Sunak needs to come clean about the relationship he has with Frank Hester, including how many times he has met with him since becoming prime minister.”