Open letter to Zack Ali on Frank Hester’s funding for his campaign

Dear Cllr Ali,

As you will have seen, over the last week it has been reported that the Conservative Party’s largest donor, Frank Hester, has expressed racist views, including:

• Telling a business partner: “you see Diane Abbott on the TV, and…you just want to hate all black women because she’s there.” 
• Addressing employees while on a balcony, he asked if there was: “no room for the Indians, then…climb on the roof, like on the roof of the train there maybe?”
• And indicating a regular pattern of behaviour, commented that we was looking forward to a trip to Malaysia: “so that I can make new jokes – I don’t know any jokes about Malaysian people but I’m sure we’ll find them”.

Such views clearly have no place in our politics and your party leader has now stated that the comments were ‘racist’ and ‘wrong’. Despite this, senior Conservatives have made it clear that not only are they happy to accept Mr Hester’s donation, but that they would accept further donations in the future. Implicitly condoning racist views in our politics.

I am writing to you to seek assurances that neither your campaign nor that of the Crawley Conservative Association will use any resources provided by the Conservative Party so long as Mr Hester is helping to fund them.

You have the chance to make a principled stand on this issue and make it clear that you do not condone these views. I’m sure that your choice will remain in voters’ minds when they see your campaign literature over coming months.

So, may I ask, do you accept that these views are racist and, if so, would you be comfortable knowing that every leaflet you put through people’s doors is paid for by a man whose views your party leader now states to be racist?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Lamb
Labour candidate for Crawley