🔗 Share this article Diversions Over Abd el-Fattah Became a Recurring Gag, Says Former Starmer Adviser Efforts to free of Alaa Abd el-Fattah frequently diverted the Starmer administration from concentrating on core 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 prime minister’s director of strategy, claimed the case of the British political prisoner evolved into a “recurring punchline” among those in government frustrated by the lack of progress of change. “We'd hold long meetings on the key goals of the government, and frequently they would be derailed via any other business into conversations of this gentleman,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. He continued, “Most of us on the political team of government weren’t that aware of it – weren’t that tuned into it – because it didn’t impact us daily. It truly turned into a bit of a kind of a standing joke within government that people would always find a way to bring it back to this topic.” A Sign of Wider Struggles Ovenden argued the amount of time spent on freeing Abd el-Fattah was symptomatic of a government that has found it difficult to remain concentrated on voters’ core priorities in the face of pressure from “influential” campaign organisations and arms-length bodies. Ovenden’s comments came in his first public intervention since he stepped down in September, following revelations he had sent inappropriate messages about the Labour MP Diane Abbott previously. Shared Frustrations in Downing Street However, Ovenden’s assessment is shared by many in Downing Street, including the prime minister, who complained last month about bureaucratic hurdles slowing government action. Ovenden stated Abd el-Fattah’s case was one of several areas where the government became distracted from its main objectives. He cited controversies over compensation for historical injustices and prohibiting cigarettes in pub gardens as other instances. “When the public is getting increasingly impatient, ever more disillusioned with a lack of progress, more and more fed up with side issues, in my opinion, we cannot justify to be using valuable time on what I consider distractions,” he said. Advocating for a Radical Shift In a further article, he urges the government to scale back green rules, reduce benefits expenditure and even scrap the guaranteed pension increase mechanism. “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 unsustainable welfare system,” he argues. “There is no need to strangle 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 seen by many as a blow to Starmer, while his critique of Whitehall priorities finds sympathy in certain quarters.