Distractions Regarding Alaa Abd el-Fattah Became a Running Joke, Says Former Starmer Aide
Efforts to secure the release of the British-Egyptian activist frequently diverted Keir Starmer’s government from focusing on bread-and-butter home affairs, 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 “running joke” among those in Whitehall exasperated with the slow pace of change.
“We would be having long meetings on the priorities of the government, and often 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 team of government weren’t that aware of it – weren’t that tuned into it – because it didn't affect us daily. It truly turned into a sort of a standing joke within government that people would invariably find a way to bring it back to this conversation.”
A Sign of Wider Struggles
Ovenden said the amount of time spent on the activist's case was indicative of a government that has found it difficult to stay focused on voters’ core priorities in the face of pressure from “influential” campaign organisations and quasi-independent agencies.
These remarks were made during 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 previously.
Shared Frustrations in Downing Street
However, Ovenden’s political analysis is shared by many in Downing Street, even the prime minister, who lamented last month about excessive red tape delaying government action.
Ovenden said Abd el-Fattah’s case was one of several areas where the government became distracted from its primary goals. He cited controversies over compensation for historical injustices and banning smoking in outdoor hospitality areas as further examples.
“At a time when the public is getting more and more frustrated, more and more fed up with inaction, increasingly tired with side issues, in my opinion, we simply can’t afford to be using valuable time on what I consider diversions,” he said.
Calls for Policy Overhaul
In a separate piece, he urges the government to roll back green rules, cut welfare spending and even scrap the guaranteed pension increase mechanism.
“It is not necessary to keep taking money of the wealth-generating sectors of our economy in order to fund above-inflation pension rises for the wealthy or an unsustainable welfare system,” he argues. “We don’t have to stifle small businesses from the outset with regulatory burdens.”
Having been part of a handful of advisers close to the prime minister since his days in opposition, his exit was seen by many as a setback to Starmer, even as his analysis of governmental focus finds sympathy in certain quarters.
