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The Speaker of the Commons is facing a wave of online backlash after he chose not to call on Diane Abbott during PMQs on Wednesday.
The backbencher repeatedly stood up in the Chamber to ask prime minister Rishi Sunak a question – only to be overlooked throughout the whole session by Sir Lindsay Hoyle, despite being at the centre of a row about racism and MP safety.
The Guardian claimed the Conservative’s largest donor Frank Hester said Abbott made him “want to hate all black women” and that “she should be shot” back in 2019.
Abbott, the UK’s first and longest-serving Black MP, has described Hester’s alleged remarks as “frightening” and expressed fears about her safety.
According to The Independent, Abbott has now reported Hester to the police.
A statement from Hester’s company said that he “accepts he was rude” about the MP, but claimed: “His criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin.”
The Tory donor also claimed he had tried to ring Abbott twice to “try to apologise directly for the hurt he has caused her”.
The alleged incident was a core topic of conversation in the Commons today, with Labour leader Keir Starmer asking why Sunak is refusing to hand back Hester’s £10 million donation to the Tories last year.
Sunak just acknowledged Hester’s reported comments were “wrong, they were racist”, adding that his remorse should be accepted.
SNP leader Stephen Flynn also spoke up about the alleged incident, accusing the PM of putting “money before morals”.
He also pointed out that Hester has apologised for being rude to Abbott – and Flynn claimed the donor was not “rude, he was racist”.
Meanwhile, Abbott stood up between every other speaker to try and catch Hoyle’s eye and ask a question.
But he chose not to call on the backbencher herself at all.
According to the BBC’s Chris Mason, both Flynn and Starmer went to speak to her after the session, along with a wave of other Labour backbenchers.
And it seems they were not the only ones to notice how Hoyle ignored her today, judging from the response on X (formerly Twitter)…
God knows why the Speaker didn't call Diane Abbott, given half of PMQs directly concerned her. Utterly wrong-headed decision. Especially since he gave the last question to that know-nothing blowhard Mark Francios.
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) March 13, 2024
Diane Abbott is looking to ask a question at PMQs. The speaker must surely call her soon. Would be a awful look to have a succession of men talk about her but not hear from her herself.
— Kiran Stacey (@kiranstacey) March 13, 2024
Diane Abbott, who was in the chamber, had to not only sit there and watch Sunak downplay racism against her but watch (mostly) white men speak on her behalf because the speaker didn’t give her the option to ask a fucking question!
Seriously? Betrayal after betrayal.#PMQs
— Supertanskiii (@supertanskiii) March 13, 2024
MPs look and sound confused by Lindsay Hoyle’s decision to not call Diane Abbott for a question
— Adam Payne (@adampayne26) March 13, 2024
Shame Diane Abbott wasn’t picked while everyone around her discussed…her. 🤔 #PMQs
— Sophia Sleigh (@SophiaSleigh) March 13, 2024
Very poor show that the Speaker did not grant Diane Abbott a question today https://t.co/f8OhuT3iFp
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) March 13, 2024
During today's #PMQs, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle ignored Diane Abbott who repeatedly stood to ask a question. Britain's first Black woman MP being disrespected in the House of Commons, as news emerged of the Tory Party's biggest donor saying she should be shot, is most concerning. pic.twitter.com/kmbzobO1ik
— Nadine White. (@Nadine_Writes) March 13, 2024
After bobbing for 30 minutes to ask a question, Diane Abbott was not called by the speaker at PMQs.
— Aubrey Allegretti (@breeallegretti) March 13, 2024
Hoyle has been fighting for his survival in the Commons ever since he was forced to apologise for going against parliamentary convention last month.
SNP and Tory MPs declared they had no confidence in him after he ignored his officials’ advice and selected a Labour amendment to an SNP opposition day motion calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.
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