Distractions Over Abd el-Fattah Were a Running Joke, Says Ex-Starmer Aide
Efforts to free of Alaa Abd el-Fattah frequently diverted the Starmer administration from concentrating on bread-and-butter domestic political issues, as stated by one of the prime minister’s closest ex-aides.
Frustration Became a Source of Humour
Paul Ovenden, who stood down last year as the PM's chief of strategy, said the case of the British political prisoner evolved into a “running joke” among those in government frustrated by the slow pace of change.
“We would be having extended discussions on the key goals of the government, and often they would be derailed via AOB into conversations 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 – not closely following it – because it didn't affect us daily. 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 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 remain concentrated on the public's main concerns in the face of pressure from “well-connected” activist groups and quasi-independent agencies.
These remarks came in his first public intervention since he stepped down in September, after it was revealed he sent offensive texts about the Labour MP Diane Abbott previously.
Shared Frustrations in Downing Street
But, Ovenden’s political analysis is echoed 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 among a number of areas where the government was sidetracked from its main objectives. He pointed to rows over compensation for historical injustices and prohibiting cigarettes 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.
Advocating for a Radical Shift
In a further article, he urges the government to scale back green rules, cut benefits expenditure and even end the triple-lock on pensions.
“It is not necessary to keep picking the pockets of the productive parts of our economy in order to pay for inflation-busting pension increases for the wealthy or an unaffordable benefits framework,” he argues. “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 the opposition benches, his departure was widely regarded as a setback to Starmer, while his analysis of Whitehall priorities finds sympathy in certain quarters.
