Keir Starmer's Ex-Aide Reveals Alaa Abd El-Fattah Was Whitehall 'Running Joke'—Here's Why

Sir Keir Starmer is facing renewed scrutiny over his handling of sensitive foreign-policy cases after Paul Ovenden, a former prime ministerial advisor, claimed that the campaign to free Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah was privately dismissed as a 'running joke' inside Whitehall.

The remarks, made by the former director of strategy at No 10 Downing Street, suggest a sharp disconnect between public assurances and internal scepticism — and have reopened debate about how government priorities are shaped behind closed doors.

'His designation as a high priority for the Government came as a surprise to me, doubly so, because until recently I was in a position of influence over the Government's priorities,' Ovenden said.

Priority Stated by the UK Government

Although Sir Keir Starmer has publicly stated that the extradition of Abd el-Fattah to the UK has been a top priority since he came to office, Ovenden's remarks indicate a gap between what the government says and what it thinks.

The Prime Minister publicly expressed his joy at Abd el-Fattah's arrival in London on Boxing Day, the result of fruitful negotiations with Egypt.

Ovenden, nevertheless, one of those most active in forming government priorities, said there was a measure of cynicism and even ridicule of the case in Whitehall. To this, he indicated that he was surprised by the government assigning the case of Abd el-Fattah a priority, since he had played a part in the government's decision-making before.

Doubtful Counter-arguments

The reception of Abd el-Fattah in the UK was made public, and shortly thereafter, it was reported that he had made a series of heated statements upon his imprisonment in the UK, which included incitement of violence against the police and Zionists, racist statements against British people, and possible arson attacks on Downing Street.

'I'm a racist, I don't like white people,' Abd el-Fattah once declared.

These words cast doubt on his qualifications as the UK's representative and came to haunt the story of him being a simple human rights advocate. The timing of his release, as well as the government's promotion of his case, seemed not to align with these revelations, prompting discussion of whether such a person should be prioritised.

Glorification of Celebrity Endorsing

Insights from Ovenden offer a wider view of a trend within Whitehall, in which some high-profile cases receive disproportionate coverage due to letter campaigns by celebrities and high-profile activist lawyers.

He presented the case of Abd el-Fattah as representative of how the government's funding and focus are so often lost in the periphery, issues that are driven by lobbying efforts.

Ovenden suggests that this obsession is indicative of a greater tendency in government departments that are too weak or too corrupt to resist such lobbying.

He described the situation in which such cases are identified. He said they often dominated discussions and affected the policy-making process, regardless of how complex or meritorious those cases were.

According to him, this phenomenon creates a cycle between activism and celebrity campaigns that distorts government priorities at the expense of more urgent national or diplomatic issues.

Circumstances of Alaa Abd el-Fattah's Citizenship

Under former PM Boris Johnson, Abd el-Fattah became a UK citizen in December 2021, apparently via his British-born mother. That status significantly raised the diplomatic stakes of his imprisonment in Egypt and intensified pressure on successive UK governments to act.

The fact that he was a citizen and a high-profile activist made his case a symbolic battleground for both human rights advocates and diplomatic negotiations.

While his release was publicly framed as a diplomatic achievement, Ovenden's comments suggest lingering unease within Whitehall over how the decision was reached.

Why This Matters

The revelations place Starmer in an uncomfortable position, raising questions about transparency, consistency, and the influence of external pressure on foreign policy decisions. They also underline a broader tension between public messaging and internal deliberation at the highest levels of government.

Whether the episode damages trust in Labour's approach to international affairs remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Abd el-Fattah case continues to resonate far beyond its immediate diplomatic outcome.