A minister has refused to say if the Conservatives should return money to one of its biggest donors, after reports Frank Hester said former Labour MP Diane Abbott made him “want to hate all black women”.

The allegations about the chief executive of The Phoenix Partnership – which donated £10m to the Tories last year – emerged in the Guardian on Monday, with the newspaper also claiming he said Ms Abbott “should be shot”.

In a statement posted on X, Mr Hester admitted he had made “rude” comments about Ms Abbott, for which he was “deeply sorry”, but said they had “nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin”.

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Energy minister Graham Stuart heavily criticised the remarks, telling Sky News they were “clearly reprehensible”, “truly awful”, and Mr Hester was “absolutely right to apologise”.

However, asked whether the Conservatives should return his donation, he said: “We can’t cancel anybody from participation in public life or indeed donating to parties because they said something intemperate and wrong in their past.”

“It’s not my decision. But I do welcome those who support the Conservative Party to ensure that we have Rishi Sunak, of course, our first Hindu Prime Minister, [in office].”

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Pushed again on whether he welcomed donations from the likes of Mr Hester, the minister said: “I’m saying that I welcome those who contribute and I’m not here to sit in judgement on one remark.”

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