Sir Keir Starmer's government is facing a dual-pronged critique from within its own political family, with a former top aide launching a blistering attack on the "weirdness of Whitehall" and a veteran strategist warning of an "existential threat" from Reform UK.
The 'Stakeholder State' Emasculating Ministers
Paul Ovenden, who served as No10's director of strategy before resigning last year, has accused the Labour administration of falling victim to a powerful "Stakeholder State". Writing in The Times, Ovenden argued this system has decisively shifted "politics and power away from voters" and towards non-governmental organisations, activist lawyers, and celebrity-backed campaigners, leaving ministers feeling "emasculated".
He pointed to the case of activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah as a prime example. After the Prime Minister welcomed El-Fattah's release from imprisonment in Egypt, historic social media posts by the activist, described as "abhorrent" by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, came to light. Ovenden claimed the episode became a joke in Downing Street due to how frequently it was raised, illustrating how government energy is drained "by people obsessed with fringe issues".
Ovenden, who remains close to figures in No10, described the Stakeholder State as favouring endless consultations and reviews over tangible action on priorities like housing and infrastructure. He called for the government to find a "stiffened spine and renewed purpose" to dismantle this structure and deliver the change voters are "crying out for".
An 'Existential Threat' from Reform UK
Simultaneously, a founding architect of New Labour's success has issued a stark warning about the danger posed by populist parties. Sir Chris Powell, the advertising guru who helped mastermind the 1997 landslide, told The Guardian that the government lacks a sufficient plan to counter the "existential threat" of Reform UK.
Sir Chris, brother of the PM's national security adviser Jonathan Powell, urged the Labour leadership to "wage and win the daily war for attention" on social media. "We simply cannot afford to allow Reform UK to have a free run, and become established and entrenched as a credible potential government in the minds of disenchanted voters," he stated.
He cautioned that hoping Reform and Nigel Farage would implode was "potentially suicidal for our freedom and democracy", emphasising that the longer they go unchallenged, the more risk-free they appear.
Pressure Mounts as Local Elections Loom
These internal critiques emerge as Sir Keir Starmer faces growing pressure from his own MPs for clearer action and direction. With local elections in May approaching, many are impatient and have been angered by a turbulent first year marked by policy U-turns and internal rows.
In response to the El-Fattah case, Yvette Cooper has ordered a review into "serious information failures" after successive politicians and officials missed the activist's old posts. El-Fattah has since apologised "unequivocally" for historic tweets. The Prime Minister is planning a cost-of-living focused event next week in a bid to rebuild connections with both the public and his parliamentary party.
