Diversions Over Abd el-Fattah Became a Recurring Gag, Says Ex-Starmer Adviser
Efforts to free of the British-Egyptian activist frequently diverted the Starmer administration from concentrating on core home affairs, as stated by a former member of the PM's inner circle of former advisers.
A 'Running Joke' Within Government
Paul Ovenden, who stepped down last year as the prime minister’s director of strategy, said the case of the British political prisoner became a “recurring punchline” among those in government exasperated with the slow pace of change.
“We would be having long meetings on the priorities of the government, and frequently they would be derailed via any other business into discussions of this individual,” he stated on 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 affect us daily. It truly turned into a bit of a kind of a standing joke within government that people would invariably find a way to return to this topic.”
Symptomatic of a Broader Issue
Ovenden said the significant focus spent on freeing Abd el-Fattah 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” campaign organisations and quasi-independent agencies.
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 eight years ago.
Echoes of PM's Own Concerns
However, Ovenden’s assessment is shared by many in Number 10, even the prime minister, who lamented last month about excessive red tape delaying government action.
Ovenden said Abd el-Fattah’s case was one of several areas where the government was sidetracked from its primary goals. He pointed to rows over compensation for historical injustices and banning smoking in pub gardens as further examples.
“When the public is getting increasingly impatient, more and more fed up with inaction, more and more fed up 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 further article, he calls on the government to scale back green rules, reduce welfare spending and even end the guaranteed pension increase mechanism.
“We don’t have to keep taking money of the productive parts of our economy in order to pay for above-inflation pension rises for the wealthy or an unsustainable welfare system,” he writes. “There is no need to strangle small businesses at birth with excessive regulation.”
As one 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, while his critique of governmental focus resonates in certain quarters.