Former Starmer Adviser Paul Ovenden Criticizes Government's Handling of Abd el-Fattah Case and Policy Priorities
Paul Ovenden, former director of strategy to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has criticized the government's handling of the Abd el-Fattah case, describing it as a distraction and a running joke. Alaa Abd el-Fattah was freed from an Egyptian prison and returned to Britain on Boxing Day 2025 amid controversy over decade-old social media posts advocating killing Zionists.
Ovenden argued that the case reflected the government's struggles to prioritize core voter issues under pressure from well-connected activist groups and arm's-length bodies. He said that government discussions on Abd el-Fattah were often railroaded into other business, diverting attention from day-to-day priorities.
These remarks are Ovenden's first public intervention following his resignation in September, after admitting to sending inappropriate messages about Labour MP Diane Abbott eight years ago. In a separate piece for The Times, he called for rolling back environmental regulations, cutting welfare spending, and ending the triple-lock on pensions. He argued against funding inflation-linked pension increases and against excessive regulatory burdens on small businesses.
Ovenden also noted that other debated policy areas, including reparations to former colonies and banning smoking in pub gardens, similarly distracted the government from focusing on its core tasks.
