Frank Hester: James Cleverly refuses to rule out accepting donations from controversial Leeds businessman

Shadow Home Secretary, Mr Cleverly, is joint third out of the four candidates still vying to become Tory leader.

He appeared on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme and was repeatedly asked if his pledge to “run a different Tory party” and be a “different kind of leader” would see him turn down further donations from Mr Hester.

The controversial businessman has given the Tories £15 million since 2023, including the biggest donation the party received during the general election campaign – more than £5 million through his business based in Horsforth.

Mr Cleverly responded: “He’s apologised, he admitted that what he said was completely wrong – the reason he donated to the Conservative Party’s general election campaign was to protect the British people from the Labour Government that we now see.

“I’ve not had any discussions with Frank Hester about the future. 

“What he said was totally unacceptable, he’s apologised for that – he has been a donor to the (Conservative) party, whether he is again in the future I don’t know.”

Katie White, the Labour MP for Leeds North West which includes The Phoenix Partnership, said “we rightly expect better from our political leaders” than to accept donations from Mr Hester.

"Electoral Commission data shows that Frank Hester’s millions fueled the Conservative Party’s General Election campaign—funding the leaflets arriving at our doors, the targeted ads flooding our social media, and the political advisers downplaying the issue,” she said. 

“This is a man who openly called for a black woman MP to be shot. 

“By accepting and using his money, the Conservative Party is, in effect, condoning these deeply troubling comments.

“The Conservative Party must explain why it accepted money from someone with such appalling views and clarify whether it supports or condemns Hester's remarks.”