Politicians have given away too much power to deliver pledges, says PM's ex-aide

A former adviser to the prime minister has criticized politicians for relinquishing too much influence to lawyers, activists, and regulatory bodies, arguing this limits their ability to fulfil promises. Paul Ovenden, who stepped down as Keir Starmer’s director of political strategy last September after past offensive messages he sent came to light, expressed in The Times that the British state has increasingly grown in size while simultaneously weakening its own effectiveness. He pointed to the case of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El Fattah as an example of the perplexing distractions that occupy Whitehall’s attention.

In an interview with the BBC, Ovenden suggested that politicians could reclaim control over the democratic process if they demonstrated firm determination. He praised Sir Keir Starmer as “exactly the right person” to implement reforms, noting that the Labour leader himself deeply feels the frustration caused by these obstacles. Meanwhile, Chris Powell, who has worked on multiple Labour general election campaigns and is the brother of the prime minister’s adviser Jonathan Powell, has argued that Labour requires a “fundamental reset” to counter the electoral challenge posed by Reform UK. Writing in The Guardian, he described voters as “fed up, think nothing works – and some are simply angry and feel ignored.”

The controversy surrounding Alaa Abd El Fattah has also placed strain on political leadership. After spending over a decade imprisoned in Egypt on charges of “spreading fake news” about torture, Abd El Fattah was released in September following diplomatic efforts by consecutive British governments. Upon his arrival in the UK last week, the prime minister welcomed him warmly, calling his case “a top priority for my government.” However, criticism emerged after social media posts surfaced in which Abd El Fattah appeared to call for violence against Zionists and police officers. Sir Keir said he was not aware of these “absolutely abhorrent” remarks, for which Abd El Fattah has since apologized. The government is reviewing the handling of information in this case.

Reflecting on the situation, Ovenden recounted how government meetings meant to focus on priorities were frequently derailed by discussions of Abd El Fattah’s case, which many political operatives found irrelevant to day-to-day governance. The case became emblematic of distractions fueled by activism and legal challenges that divert government attention. According to Ovenden, politicians have essentially “handed away power” to arm’s length institutions, activist groups, and legal frameworks that effectively stall government action. He cited issues like colonial reparations payments and bans on vaping in pub gardens as examples of such distractions. Ovenden believes the public’s frustration with the political system’s inability to act decisively is understandable but emphasized that change is possible if governments begin by reducing certain legal constraints and limits on their authority, such as environmental rules on building projects or the scope for judicial reviews challenging government policies.

This perspective aligns with concerns previously voiced within government circles, including from the prime minister himself. In a parliamentary Liaison Committee session before Christmas, Sir Keir highlighted the difficulty of “speed and ability to get things done in Parliament.” He lamented the extensive “checks and balances and consultations and regulations and arm’s length bodies” that lengthen the process between decisions and delivery. The prime minister acknowledged a pattern across governments of creating additional procedures after mistakes, inadvertently hampering swift action. Sir Keir’s experience, he said, is one of frustration where pulling any policy lever involves navigating layers of regulation, leading him to aim for a reduction in red tape and streamlining government functions overall

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