Distractions Regarding Abd el-Fattah Were a Running Joke, Says Former Starmer Aide
Attempts to free of the British-Egyptian activist frequently diverted Keir Starmer’s government from concentrating on bread-and-butter domestic political issues, as stated by one of the PM's inner circle of ex-aides.
A 'Running Joke' Within Government
Paul Ovenden, who stood down last year as the prime minister’s director of strategy, claimed the case of the imprisoned activist became a “running joke” among those in Whitehall frustrated by 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 stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He continued, “Most of us on the political side of government were largely unaware of it – weren’t that tuned into it – because it didn't affect us on a day-to-day basis. It truly turned into a bit of a kind of a standing joke within government that people would always find a way to bring it back to this conversation.”
A Sign of Wider Struggles
Ovenden argued the amount of time dedicated to freeing Abd el-Fattah was indicative of a government that has struggled to stay focused on the public's main concerns in the face of pressure from “influential” campaign organisations and quasi-independent agencies.
These remarks were made during his first public intervention since he resigned in September, following revelations he had sent offensive texts about the Labour MP Diane Abbott previously.
Echoes of PM's Own Concerns
However, Ovenden’s assessment is echoed by many in Downing Street, even the prime minister, who lamented last month about excessive red tape slowing government action.
Ovenden stated Abd el-Fattah’s case was one of several areas where the government became distracted from its primary goals. He pointed to controversies over reparations to former colonies and banning smoking in outdoor hospitality areas as other instances.
“When the public is getting more and more frustrated, more and more fed up with a lack of progress, more and more fed up with distraction, in my opinion, we cannot justify to be using valuable time on what I consider distractions,” he said.
Advocating for a Radical Shift
In a separate piece, he urges the government to roll back environmental regulations, reduce benefits expenditure and even end the guaranteed pension increase mechanism.
“It is not necessary to keep picking the pockets of the productive parts of our economy in order to fund inflation-busting pension increases for millionaires or an unsustainable welfare system,” he argues. “We don’t have to strangle entrepreneurs at birth with regulatory burdens.”
As one of a handful of advisers close to the prime minister since his days in opposition, his exit was widely regarded as a setback to Starmer, even as his critique of Whitehall priorities finds sympathy in certain quarters.