Distractions Over Alaa Abd el-Fattah Became a Running Joke, States Former Starmer Aide
Attempts to free of the British-Egyptian activist regularly distracted the Starmer administration from concentrating on bread-and-butter home affairs, according to one of the prime minister’s closest 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 imprisoned activist evolved into a “running joke” among those in Whitehall 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 discussions of this individual,” he stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He added, “The majority on the political team of government were largely unaware of it – weren’t that tuned into 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 invariably find a way to bring it back to this conversation.”
A Sign of Wider Struggles
Ovenden said the significant focus dedicated to the activist's case was symptomatic of a government that has struggled to remain concentrated on the public's main concerns in the face of pressure from “influential” activist groups and quasi-independent agencies.
Ovenden’s comments were made during 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, even the prime minister, who complained last month about excessive red tape delaying government action.
Ovenden stated 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.
“When the public is getting increasingly impatient, ever more disillusioned with a lack of progress, increasingly tired with side issues, in my opinion, we cannot justify to be using valuable time on what I consider distractions,” he said.
Calls for Policy Overhaul
In a separate piece, he calls on the government to roll back green rules, cut welfare spending and even scrap 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 pay for inflation-busting pension increases for the wealthy or an unaffordable benefits framework,” he argues. “There is no need to stifle small businesses at birth with regulatory burdens.”
Having been part of a small group of advisers close to the prime minister since his days in opposition, his departure was widely regarded as a setback to Starmer, even as his critique of Whitehall priorities resonates in certain quarters.