Diversions Over Abd el-Fattah Were a Running Joke, Says Ex-Starmer Aide
Attempts to secure the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah frequently diverted Keir Starmer’s government from focusing on core domestic political issues, according to one of the PM's inner circle of former advisers.
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 became a “running joke” among those in Whitehall exasperated with the lack of progress of change.
“We would be having extended discussions on the priorities of the government, and often they would be derailed via any other business into discussions of this gentleman,” he told 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 actually became a bit of a kind of a standing joke within government that people would always find a way to return to this conversation.”
A Sign of Wider Struggles
Ovenden said the amount of time spent on freeing Abd el-Fattah was indicative of a government that has found it difficult to remain concentrated on the public's main concerns in the face of pressure from “well-connected” campaign organisations and arms-length bodies.
Ovenden’s comments came in his initial public statement since he resigned in September, following revelations he sent inappropriate messages about the Labour MP Diane Abbott eight years ago.
Echoes of PM's Own Concerns
However, Ovenden’s political analysis is echoed by many in Downing Street, including 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 was sidetracked from its main objectives. He pointed to controversies over compensation for historical injustices and prohibiting cigarettes in outdoor hospitality areas as further examples.
“At a time when the public is getting increasingly impatient, ever more disillusioned with a lack of progress, increasingly tired with distraction, in my opinion, we simply can’t afford to be using valuable time on what I consider distractions,” he said.
Calls for Policy Overhaul
In a separate piece, he urges the government to scale back environmental regulations, reduce benefits expenditure and even end the triple-lock on pensions.
“We don’t have to keep picking the pockets of the wealth-generating sectors of our economy in order to fund inflation-busting pension increases for millionaires or an unaffordable benefits framework,” he writes. “There is no need to stifle small businesses from the outset with regulatory burdens.”
Having been part of a small group of advisers around the prime minister since his days in opposition, his exit was widely regarded as a blow to Starmer, even as his analysis of governmental focus resonates in certain quarters.
