Top Starmer aide quits Government after ‘appalling’ remarks about Diane Abbott

A senior aide to Sir Keir Starmer has resigned from his Downing Street job after derogatory sexual remarks he made about Diane Abbott came to light.

Paul Ovenden, No 10’s director of strategy, discussed the veteran MP in a series of messages in 2017, which have been published by ITV News.

Mr Ovenden, a former journalist and Labour press officer, said he was bringing forward his already-planned decision to leave Government this year in order to avoid “distracting” from its “vital work”.

The top aide, said by some Westminster watchers to be among those closest to the Prime Minister, is the third figure at the heart of Government to have made an exit in recent weeks.

Angela Rayner stood down from her roles as deputy prime minister, housing secretary, and Labour deputy leader in a row over tax paid on her seaside home, and Lord Peter Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to Washington by the Prime Minister for his links to the paedophile US financier Jeffrey Epstein.

A series of messages published by ITV show Mr Ovenden talking with a colleague about a game of “shag, marry, kill” involving Ms Abbott, from when he worked as a Labour press officer in 2017.

He described a conversation from the previous evening as “outrageous” to his co-worker in the stream of messages.

A No 10 spokesperson condemned the remarks made by Mr Ovenden.

The spokesperson said: “These messages are appalling and unacceptable. As the first black woman to be elected to Parliament, Diane Abbott is a trailblazer who has faced horrendous abuse throughout her political career. These kinds of comments have no place in our politics.”

In a statement, Mr Ovenden said: “I am accused of eight years ago as a junior press officer sharing with a female colleague the details of a silly conversation that I was party to with other female staff members.

“Before summer, I had announced to some of my colleagues my intention to leave Government. Though the messages long pre-date my current employment and relationship with the Prime Minister, I’ve brought forward my resignation to avoid distracting from the vital work this Government is doing to positively change people’s lives.

“As an adviser, my duty is to protect the reputation of the Prime Minister and his Government.”

Ms Abbott, the longest serving female MP who holds the title Mother of the House, currently sits as an independent MP.

She had the whip withdrawn after repeating remarks she had previously made suggesting black people face more overt racism than other groups, including Jewish people.

The Stoke Newington and Hackney MP has been an outspoken critic of the Government on issues including the decision to limit the winter fuel payment to only the poorest pensioners.

Ms Abbott was contacted for comment about Mr Ovenden’s exit from Government but did not reply.

Zarah Sultana, another left-wing MP who lost the Labour whip, did however weigh in.

Ms Sultana, the independent MP for Coventry South, is in the process of starting a new left-wing party alongside former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Writing on social media site X, she said: “Everyone knows about the macho boys’ club Starmer surrounds himself with. So it’s no surprise to see vile, misogynistic comments from one of his top aides.

“This Labour Government is rotten to the core.”