Ex-Boris Johnson aide Samuel Kasumu says diverse cabinet is not racism ‘get out of jail free card’

Sign as much as our free fortnightly publication from The Independent’s Race Correspondent Nadine White

Sign as much as our free fortnightly publication The Race Report

A Black former adviser to Boris Johnson has accused Rishi Sunak of utilizing his diverse cabinet as a “get out of jail free card” towards allegations of racism, because the fallout over Tory donor Frank Hester continues.

Author and member of the Tory occasion Samuel Kasumu mentioned some of essentially the most divisive politicians are non-white, together with former dwelling secretary Suella Braverman, and it is “not the colour of your skin that matters”.

“It has to be the content of your character and your willingness to lead, and that is not what we are seeing today,” he mentioned.

In a damning evaluation of Mr Sunak’s dealing with of the racism row over Mr Hester, Mr Kasumu mentioned: “I just do not know what they are playing at.”

And, addressing Mr Sunak’s preliminary reluctance to explain Mr Hester’s feedback as racist, Mr Kasumu mentioned: “There is absolutely no way that any minister would have been told to come out and not condemn these remarks as racist and misogynist if I was in Downing Street.”

An investigation by The Guardian alleged that businessman Mr Hester, the Conservative Party’s greatest donor, mentioned taking a look at Diane Abbott makes you “want to hate all black women” and that “she should be shot”.

Transport secretary Mark Harper was grilled on Sunday about whether or not the Conservatives have accepted an extra £5m from Mr Hester, on prime of £10m over the previous 12 months, and if the occasion would settle for any additional money from him.

And, requested by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg whether or not the Conservative Party has “a problem with race”, Mr Harper mentioned “absolutely not”.

He added: “As the prime minister himself said this week, we’re a party proudly led by the first British Asian prime minister, with the most ethnically diverse cabinet there has ever been, and we’re a party which welcomes people from across the United Kingdom, whatever their background, whatever their race.”

But, requested in regards to the feedback, Mr Kasumu mentioned it was “frustrating when ministers say that we have the most diverse cabinet in history and that is somehow to get out of jail free card”.

He mentioned when he labored in Downing Street it was not Black and brown MPs who reached out when George Floyd was killed, however Mr Johnson who wished to “bring communities together”.

“And now, of course, some of our most divisive politicians are people like Suella Braverman,” he added.

He informed the BBC: “I know that we can do better… but that is not what we are seeing.

“There is absolutely no way that any minister would have been told to come out and not condemn these remarks as racist and misogynist if I was in Downing Street.

“So the problem is not just the prime minister, it is also his advisers, people who were my former colleagues, I just do not know what they’re playing at. We have to do better.”

Mr Kasumu has beforehand mentioned an apology from Mr Hester was not sufficient and that he should use his “time and resources” to indicate he was sorry for his feedback about Ms Abbott.