Gender recognition processes, which are humiliating and overlong. Why starmers sudden defence of women against the trans lobby proves a Labour Government would be completely unworkable. On my panel is gb unworkable. On my panel is gb news star nana akua tory mp jonathan gullace and author amy Nicole Turner. Oh, and why this lot up to here . Do we reckon . I will reveal all about these gangs very, very shortly . Theyre making millions, by the way. Get ready britain, here we go. The epic diane abbott. Tory donon the epic diane abbott. Tory donor. Race row. Next. Donor. Race row. Next. Its 9 00. Im sophia wenzler your top story this hour. Downing street has said comments allegedly made by a tory donor about mp diane abbott were racist and wrong. It comes as the police are understood to have been contacted over Frank Hesters alleged remarks. The hesters alleged remarks. The conservative partys biggest donor reportedly said miss abbott made him want to hate all black women, and she should be shot. Mr hester has now apologised and says he abhors racism. Miss abbott, whos now an independent mp, described the comments as frightening and worrying. Meanwhile, shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth says its staggering that rishi sunak has taken so long to recognise mr hesters comments as racist. Comments as racist. Theyre absolutely reprehensible comments. Reprehensible comments. Rishi sunak should now apologise to diane abbott and the £10 million the tory party have taken from this individual. Have taken from this individual. Rishi sunak should order that money to be paid back if these comments are racist, as they are, if they recognise these comments are wrong, they should pay comments are wrong, they should pay the money back. Now lee anderson made his first appearance in the commons this afternoon since defecting to reform uk. He took a seat on the opposition benches next to george galloway. Mr anderson was stripped of the conservative whip last month after refusing to apologise for saying that islamists had got control of the london mayor. In other news, children in england who identify as trans will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers. The government said it welcomed the landmark decision , which they landmark decision, which they say is in the best interests of children. Puberty blockers, which pause physical changes in young people, will now only be available to children as part of Clinical Research trials and Police Investigating a chain of Funeral Homes in hull have now recovered 35 bodies and a quantity of whats suspected to be human ashes. It comes as two people arrested in connection with their Ongoing Investigation have been released on bail. The 46 year old man and a 23 year old woman were being held on suspicion of a number of offences, including preventing a lawful and decent burial. Hundreds of families who used legacy independent Funeral Directors have contacted the police, fearing they may have been given the wrong ashes, and social Media Influencer andrew tate insisted that hes innocent of the charges laid against him as he was released from Police Custody in romania. This afternoon. A court in bucharest ruled that he can be extradited back to the uk to face charges once his trial in romania ends. He was arrested after lawyers representing four of his accusers told British Police that he was planning to flee romania, where he and his brother tristan now live. Brother tristan now live. Theyre accused of Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking , offences and Human Trafficking, allegations theyve both denied. Allegations theyve both denied. And for the latest story, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. Common alerts. Now its back to. Patrick. Its back to. Patrick. Welcome along. Now a top tory donor allegedly said in 2019 that diane abbott makes you want to hate all black women and that she needed to be shot. Cue massive backlash media frenzy frank hester, who was given the tories £10 million in the last yean tories £10 million in the last year, has said sorry for being rude. A statement from his company read frank hester accepts that he was rude about diane abbott in a private meeting several years ago, but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin. Tories then sent out skin. The tories then sent out a procession of ministers and high ranking officials to say the donoris ranking officials to say the donor is not really a racist. Its clear that what he said was inappropriate. He has, as i understand it, apologised for those remarks. I think the critical point here is i dont think what he was saying was a gender based or a race based comment, but it was clearly inappropriate. He has clearly inappropriate. He has apologised and i think we need to move on from that. To move on from that. The labour party are in full swing despite the fact that diane abbott had the labour whip removed for denying racism against jews, the irish and travellers anyway , say labour travellers anyway, say labour are calling for the tories to hand back the £10 million worth of donations from frank hester because , as they say, hes because, as they say, hes a racist and that money is now tainted. But as we know, the tories were taking the view that this wasnt racism until step forward. Kemi badenoch equalities minister business secretary, who said hesters 2019 comments as reported were racist. I welcome his apology. Racist. I welcome his apology. Abbott and i disagree on a lot, but the idea of linking criticism of her to being a black woman is appalling. Its black woman is appalling. Its Never Acceptable to conflate someones views with the colour of their skin. Mps have a difficult job balancing multiple interests, often under threats of intimidation. As we saw recently in parliament, some people make flippant comments without of this without thinking of this context. This is why there needs to be space for forgiveness where there is contrition. And now, because he cant be outmanoeuvred, Prime Minister rishi sunak has piped up, saying the comments allegedly made by frank hester were racist and wrong. But he accepts his apology and wants everyone to move on. But of course , he move on. But of course, he hasnt actually apologised for being racist. If indeed people think he was , hes apologised think he was, hes apologised for being rude. And tonight the met police have confirmed that they are assessing the alleged incident after the initial report appeared in the guardian, mr abbott has not described mr hesters comments as racist or misogynistic, but said in a statement tonight it is frightening. Im a single woman and that makes me vulnerable anyway. But to hear someone talking like this is worrying. Talking like this is worrying. For all of my career as an mp, i have thought it important not to live in a bubble, but to mix and mingle with ordinary people. The fact two mps have been fact that two mps have been murdered years makes murdered in recent years makes talk like this all the more alarming. Well, lee anderson was alarming. Well, lee anderson was booted out of the party recently for his sadiq khan comments, wasnt he . He said his language about sadiq khan and islamists was but he will not was clumsy, but he will not apologise. Well, he begs the question, doesnt it . If lee question, doesnt it . If lee anderson gave £10 million to rishi sunak, would he still have a job . Rishi sunak is happy to take the millions from a bloke who he thinks was racist, but would not back an mp who used clumsy language about sadiq khan. Interesting, but lets get the thoughts now of my panel. Weve got gb news presenter nana akua. Got gb news presenter nana akua. Ive got conservative, stoke on trent, north mp Jonathan Gullis and author and broadcaster amy Nicole Turner nana. Ill start with you. You dont think this is racist, do you . Is racist, do you . Well, look, he said something that out loud that a lot of people might think in their heads and arent foolish enough to say out loud. But frankly, in my view, diane abbott is an embarrassment. I mean, remember in 2003 when she criticised private schools, then it turns out she was sending a kid to one of them. And then she said, west indian mums will go the wall indian mums will go to the wall for kids. In 2012, she for their kids. In 2012, she went on about and saying all cabbies were racist, and then a load of cabbies got really upset about because thats simply about that because thats simply about that because thats simply a to say. In a nonsense thing to say. In 2017, there was that crash 2017, there was that car crash interview lbc, she was interview on lbc, where she was the shadow home secretary and she she couldnt work out how much it would cost for 10,000 extra police officers. And she went ranging between 300,000 to £80 million. She is an embarrassment. And then finally she was suspended from the labour party for being racist. So because she said that jewish people dont really experience racism, its a bit like redheads andifs racism, its a bit like redheads and its more prejudice and stuff. And she did a letter in the observer. So if all black women were like her, i would be embarrassed. Frankly so we are all different. I think where hes gone wrong conflating hes gone wrong is conflating behaviour with colour of skin, so deem that as so people can deem that as racist. But to me personally, racist. But to me personally, i wasnt offended i, you wasnt offended because i, you know , i just think diane abbott know, i just think diane abbott is a mess, but that shouldnt come it. Come into it. Why is listing diane why is why is listing Diane Abbotts shortcomings relevant to this conversation . Lets take all of it and at all that out of it and look at the comments. Isolation. Well, look at the comment in isolation. Shouldnt be up isolation. It shouldnt be up for debate whether its racist. It so obvious the it is so obvious you are the only person in the whole country. Think today that you country. I think today that you must today to not must not have ears today to not be see this clear. Be able to see this clear. Racism do you think that . I didnt say that. I didnt say that. And youre not listening. I think youre not listening. I think you listened hear what you just listened and hear what you just listened and hear what you i said that you want to hear. I said that when conflate the colour when you conflate the colour of skin behaviour, skin with someones behaviour, then be seen as racist. Then that can be seen as racist. So totally get that. People so i totally get that. People will but doesnt will see that. But he doesnt see it way because hes see it that way because hes talking about her behaviour. Fact that doesnt but the fact that he doesnt see it way makes it even see it that way makes it even more of more troubling. Theres a lot of people i didnt people who say, oh, i didnt realise it. It was, was realise it. It was, it was racism was blaming for racism was victim blaming for her being both black and woman one at a time. And then well bring jonathan in eventually. Lives matter. Ive two black lives matter. Ive got very, very friend of got a very, very good friend of mine shes been mine who said, and shes been the of shes the best friend of mine, shes taken me whenever ive taken care of me whenever ive needed it. She said that you can see start to see why people would start to hate black because of hate black people, because of the of black lives the behaviour of black lives matter, went the behaviour of black lives matte|that. Went the behaviour of black lives matte|that. I went the behaviour of black lives matte|that. I got went the behaviour of black lives matte|that. I got what went the behaviour of black lives matte|that. I got what sheznt on on that. And i got what she was saying. She trying to was saying. She wasnt trying to be racist and said, okay, but she trying, but is she wasnt trying, but she is being nice. You didnt even know. Say she was. Know. Im going to say she was. She not saying that she she was not saying that she hates black people. Was hates all black people. She was saying behaviour, if saying that that behaviour, if it representative of many it is representative of many black that could black people, then that could be something make people something that could make people dislike a dislike them. And i, as a black woman, that i woman, know that if i do something, could seen as something, i could be seen as representative of black people. So that my i have so im well aware that my i have to look into how i behave. Whats wrong, isnt thats whats wrong, isnt it . Up it . Bringing sex or gender up and relevant in terms and making it relevant in terms of a derogatory is racist of in a derogatory way is racist and sexist. Jonathan do you think the tories should hand back the £10 million . Well, i think the comments were vulgar and i think in the context which weve had them context in which weve had them brought attention , i brought to our attention, i would deem them to be racist. And deeply uncomfortable and im deeply uncomfortable with in terms the money. With that in terms of the money. At of the day. Mr hester at the end of the day. Mr hester is a private individual whos entitled to choose what he wants to his own personal to do with his own personal finances. If we were going go finances. If we were going to go on logic jonathan on the logic that Jonathan Ashworth is pushing for us returning the £10 million, the labour literally found labour party was literally found guilty institutional guilty of institutional anti semitism under anti semitism, under an investigation ehrc. So investigation from the ehrc. So based on that logic, should the labour party not completely fold and pack up and go home based on the that theyve been found the fact that theyve been found guilty not taken the guilty to have not taken the complaints the allegations complaints or the allegations very seriously . When anti semitism within anti semitism was rife within their ranks and their own party ranks and targeting members of targeting their own members of parliament, including my predecessor, who predecessor, ruth smeeth, who was, attacked verbally was, brutally, attacked verbally in the inbox and actually , one in the inbox and actually, one person has since gone on to get a conviction. So, as i say, mr hester, what he does with his own money, thats up to him. Obviously, the decision to accept not is above pay accept or not is above my pay grade. Perfectly frank, grade. To be perfectly frank, patrick, will say is the patrick, what i will say is the comments vulgar. I deem comments were vulgar. I do deem them be in the context them to be raised in the context that weve seen them, i that weve seen them, but i think that should. Think that think that should. I think that mps have come out said mps not have come out and said that. E on, i think we then earlier on, i think we saw we saw stride. We did saw we saw mel stride. We did see stride earlier. Well, see mel stride earlier. Well, just just before i go to archewell, is mr archewell, i would say is mr hester is clearly a wealthy individual. He clearly something he could clearly do something decent extra decent with his money, his extra money. Go speak money. He could go and speak to diane talk about diane abbott and talk about maybe a charitable cause in her local that he could maybe a charitable cause in her loca|towards, that he could maybe a charitable cause in her loca|towards, which 1at he could maybe a charitable cause in her loca|towards, which would could give towards, which would actually the lives of actually transform the lives of maybe constituents. Maybe her constituents. That would positive from would be a positive outcome from what very ugly scene. What has been a very ugly scene. You the bit well, look, you know, the bit about she should be shot about saying she should be shot and thats just and all that, thats just ridiculous. Wouldnt say ridiculous. You wouldnt say that. Cant that. And i really cant take him seriously that. Him seriously for saying that. Well, just well, i think he was just playing in climate were playing in the climate were currently in is very dangerous. Was years ago, but that was five years ago, so saying its so im not saying its acceptable in any level. And im not saying his and im not saying that his comments off. This comments werent off. And this is things that is the sort of things that people and dont consider people say and dont consider that they might be as that they might be deemed as racist, ive plenty racist, because ive had plenty of people say ridiculous comments in a comments to me that are in a sense but i that sense racist, but i know that they dont mean way. And they dont mean it that way. And so, Kemi Badenoch said, there so, as Kemi Badenoch said, there should be an energy for forgiveness to him forgiveness to explain to him why will take what why some people will take what he racist. But i think he said as racist. But i think the comments themselves. That but then that would that would be, that stand could would be, that would stand could i ago. But he hasnt apologised. Okay, fine. But can i also just point as we heard just point out amy, as we heard earlier i mean, diane abbott earlier on, i mean, diane abbott hasnt actually him racist. Abbott hasnt called diane abbott hasnt called him hang on minute, him a racist. Hang on a minute, everybody else the everybody else can see the racism for what is. It was racism for what it is. It was directed her. Directed at her. That does that matter . Does that matter . Know, maybe i dont know, maybe she hasnt explicitly but hasnt explicitly said that, but im well aware of im sure she is. Well aware of racism she has suffered it racism as she has suffered it throughout shes the throughout her career. Shes the most abused female going, and most abused female mp going, and the want make he the point i want to make is he has an obe and all. Hes i think that should be removed. I think the million should given. The £10 million should be given. I tories were i think that the tories were reluctant it racism reluctant to call it racism because £10 million, because of this £10 million, because of this £10 million, because they call it because the minute they call it for it is, was just a for what it is, it was just a silly comment, people. Silly comment. Previous comment. Hes got previous stupid this stupid comments like this sort of people have able people have to be able t