Distractions Over Alaa Abd el-Fattah Became a Recurring Gag, Says Former Starmer Aide
Efforts to secure the release of the British-Egyptian activist frequently diverted the Starmer administration from concentrating on bread-and-butter domestic political issues, according to one of the prime minister’s closest ex-aides.
A 'Running Joke' Within Government
Paul Ovenden, who stepped down last year as the PM's chief of strategy, claimed the case of the British political prisoner evolved into a “recurring punchline” among those in Whitehall frustrated by the slow pace of change.
“We'd hold extended discussions on the key goals of the government, and often they would be derailed via any other business into conversations of this gentleman,” he stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He continued, “Most of us on the political team of government were largely unaware of it – not closely following it – because it didn’t impact us daily. It actually became 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 amount of time dedicated to the activist's case was indicative of a government that has struggled to stay focused on voters’ core priorities in the face of pressure from “well-connected” campaign organisations and quasi-independent agencies.
These remarks came in his initial public statement since he stepped down in September, following revelations he had sent inappropriate messages about the Labour MP Diane Abbott eight years ago.
Echoes of PM's Own Concerns
But, Ovenden’s assessment is shared by many in Downing Street, even the prime minister, who complained last month about bureaucratic hurdles delaying government action.
Ovenden stated Abd el-Fattah’s case was among a number of areas where the government was sidetracked from its primary goals. He pointed to controversies over reparations to former colonies and banning smoking in pub gardens as further examples.
“When the public is getting more and more frustrated, ever more disillusioned with a lack of progress, 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, reduce benefits expenditure and even end the triple-lock on pensions.
“We don’t have 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 writes. “We don’t have to strangle small businesses at birth with excessive regulation.”
Having been part of a handful of advisers around the prime minister since his days in the opposition benches, his departure was widely regarded as a setback to Starmer, while his analysis of Whitehall priorities resonates in certain quarters.
