We express our deepest solidarity with Diane Abbott MP. Not only were the abhorrent, racist, comments made towards Diane not condemned and acted on soon enough, but today we have seen her silenced at PMQs when her own safety was being discussed as a leading national news story.

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Taking more than 27 hours, the Prime Minister’s response is inadequate. Frank Hester’s comments were a classic example of violent misogynoir, there should be no question as to whether these comments were racist or not. We have no confidence in political leadership that is unwilling to address and root out racism amongst its own Parliamentarians and donors. The failure to call out racism is felt across the political spectrum, with evidence of the Labour Party’s deficiencies demonstrated in their dismal response to the Forde Report and its recommendations.

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We are appalled by the continued failures of senior politicians to address racism within their own ranks. The failure to acknowledge and act on the racism targeted at Diane Abbott MP betrays a continued misunderstanding of the gravity of anti-Black racism, and cannot be divorced from the Conservative Party’s denial of Islamophobia as racism in recent weeks.

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The Conservative Party must now return the money that was donated by Frank Hester, and full efforts must be made to allow the police investigation to proceed without any further prejudicial interventions. Finally, there needs to be a wholesale review of how MPs and ministers operate in public life that has exacerbated the recent spike in racist hatred. Until such action is taken, it can only be assumed that not only is racist prejudice tolerated, but it is an accepted part of our political culture.