Diversions Over Alaa Abd el-Fattah Were a Running Joke, Says Ex-Starmer Adviser
Attempts to secure the release of the British-Egyptian activist frequently diverted Keir Starmer’s government from focusing on core domestic political issues, according to one of the PM's inner circle of ex-aides.
A 'Running Joke' Within Government
Paul Ovenden, who stepped down last year as the prime minister’s director of strategy, claimed the case of the British political prisoner became a “recurring punchline” among those in Whitehall exasperated with the slow pace of change.
“We would be having extended discussions on the priorities of the government, and frequently they would be derailed via AOB into discussions of this individual,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He continued, “Most of us on the political side of government were largely unaware of it – not closely following it – because it didn’t impact us on a day-to-day basis. It truly turned into a bit of a kind of a running joke within government that people would always find a way to bring it back to this topic.”
A Sign of Wider Struggles
Ovenden argued the significant focus spent on the activist's case was symptomatic of a government that has struggled to stay focused on voters’ core priorities in the face of pressure from “influential” activist groups and arms-length bodies.
Ovenden’s comments came in his initial public statement since he stepped down in September, after it was revealed he had sent inappropriate messages about the Labour MP Diane Abbott eight years ago.
Echoes of PM's Own Concerns
However, Ovenden’s assessment is shared by many in Downing Street, even the prime minister, who complained last month about bureaucratic hurdles slowing government action.
Ovenden said Abd el-Fattah’s case was among a number of areas where the government was sidetracked from its primary goals. He cited controversies over reparations to former colonies and prohibiting cigarettes in outdoor hospitality areas as further examples.
“When the public is getting more and more frustrated, more and more fed up with a lack of progress, increasingly tired with side issues, in my opinion, we cannot justify to be spending their time on what I consider diversions,” he said.
Advocating for a Radical Shift
In a further article, he calls on the government to scale back environmental regulations, cut benefits expenditure and even scrap the triple-lock on pensions.
“It is not necessary to keep taking money of the wealth-generating sectors of our economy in order to pay for inflation-busting pension increases for millionaires or an unsustainable welfare system,” he writes. “We don’t have to stifle small businesses at birth with regulatory burdens.”
As one of a small group of advisers around the prime minister since his days in opposition, his departure was seen by many as a setback to Starmer, while his analysis of Whitehall priorities resonates in certain quarters.
