Paul Ovenden, the Prime Minister's director of political strategy, has resigned after the publication of old messages in which he relayed lewd jokes about Labour MP Diane Abbott. His departure marks the third senior ally to leave Keir Starmer's government in two weeks, deepening the crisis ahead of Donald Trump's state visit to the UK.
The messages, revealed in a forthcoming book titled 'The Fraud', date back eight years and describe a party game involving Abbott. Ovenden apologised, calling the messages 'distasteful' and 'embarrassing', but said he was stepping down to protect the Prime Minister's reputation. Downing Street condemned the messages as 'appalling and unacceptable'.
The resignations follow the departures of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and US Ambassador Peter Mandelson. Labour MPs are now openly discussing the possibility of replacing Starmer before the next election, with some allies of alternative leaders promoting their candidates. A Labour official warned that the loss of Ovenden, one of Starmer's longest-serving aides, would weaken the Prime Minister further.
Starmer has also faced criticism for his response to a far-right protest in London, with internal critics saying he failed to condemn it strongly enough. The Prime Minister countered that there could be 'no surrender' to racism and violence, a stance echoed by cabinet members including Wes Streeting. However, tensions over the march have fuelled fears of a 'progressive emergency' among Labour MPs.
Starmer spent Monday night voting on the workers' rights bill, a move interpreted as an attempt to reassure his fractious party. He had hoped to use Trump's state visit to refocus on his economic and foreign policy agenda, but instead faces a beleaguered leadership under attack from both the right and left of the party.
