Diversions Over Alaa Abd el-Fattah Became a Running Joke, States Former Starmer Adviser
Attempts to secure the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah regularly distracted Keir Starmer’s government from focusing on bread-and-butter home affairs, according to one of the PM's inner circle of former advisers.
Frustration Became a Source of Humour
Paul Ovenden, who stepped down last year as the prime minister’s director of strategy, said the case of the imprisoned activist became a “recurring punchline” among those in government exasperated with the lack of progress of change.
“We would be having extended discussions on the key goals of the government, and frequently they would be railroaded via AOB into discussions of this gentleman,” he stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He added, “The majority on the political side of government were largely unaware of it – not closely following it – because it didn't affect us on a day-to-day basis. It actually became a sort of a running joke within government that people would invariably find a way to return to this topic.”
Symptomatic of a Broader Issue
Ovenden argued the significant focus spent on 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” activist groups and arms-length bodies.
Ovenden’s comments 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 previously.
Echoes of PM's Own Concerns
But, Ovenden’s assessment is echoed by many in Downing Street, including the prime minister, who lamented last month about excessive red tape slowing government action.
Ovenden said Abd el-Fattah’s case was among a number of areas where the government was sidetracked from its primary goals. He cited controversies over compensation for historical injustices and prohibiting cigarettes in pub gardens as further examples.
“At a time when the public is getting more and more frustrated, ever more disillusioned with a lack of progress, increasingly tired with distraction, in my opinion, we simply can’t afford to be spending their time on what I consider diversions,” he said.
Calls for Policy Overhaul
In a separate piece, he urges the government to roll back environmental regulations, reduce welfare spending and even end the triple-lock on pensions.
“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 millionaires or an unaffordable benefits framework,” he writes. “We don’t have to strangle small businesses at birth with excessive regulation.”
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, while his analysis of Whitehall priorities finds sympathy in certain quarters.
