Distractions Over Alaa Abd el-Fattah Became a Running Joke, Says Former Starmer Adviser
Efforts to secure the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah regularly distracted the Starmer administration from focusing on core domestic political issues, as stated by one of the PM's inner circle of former advisers.
Frustration Became a Source of Humour
Paul Ovenden, who stood down last year as the PM's chief of strategy, claimed the case of the British political prisoner became a “recurring punchline” among those in Whitehall exasperated with the slow pace of change.
“We would be having extended discussions on the key goals of the government, and often they would be railroaded via AOB into conversations of this gentleman,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He continued, “The majority on the political team of government were largely unaware of it – not closely following it – because it didn't affect us on a day-to-day basis. It truly turned into a sort 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 said the significant focus spent on the activist's case was symptomatic of a government that has found it difficult to stay focused on the public's main concerns in the face of pressure from “influential” campaign organisations and arms-length bodies.
These remarks came in his initial public statement since he stepped down in September, after it was revealed he sent offensive texts about the Labour MP Diane Abbott eight years ago.
Echoes of PM's Own Concerns
But, Ovenden’s assessment is echoed by many in Downing Street, even the prime minister, who lamented last month about bureaucratic hurdles slowing government action.
Ovenden stated Abd el-Fattah’s case was among a number of areas where the government became distracted from its primary goals. He cited rows over compensation for historical injustices and banning smoking in outdoor hospitality areas as further examples.
“When the public is getting more and more frustrated, ever more disillusioned with a lack of progress, more and more fed up with distraction, in my opinion, we cannot justify to be spending their time on what I consider diversions,” he said.
Advocating for a Radical Shift
In a separate piece, he calls on the government to scale back environmental regulations, reduce benefits expenditure and even end the triple-lock on pensions.
“It is not necessary to keep taking money of the productive parts of our economy in order to pay for above-inflation pension rises for millionaires or an unaffordable benefits framework,” he argues. “We don’t have to stifle small businesses at birth with excessive regulation.”
Having been part of a small group of advisers close to the prime minister since his days in the opposition benches, his departure was widely regarded as a setback to Starmer, even as his analysis of governmental focus resonates in certain quarters.