Senior Starmer Assistant quits “sexually clear” information about Diane Abbott

A senior Downing Street aide resigned after he wrote a “gender clear” message about Labor MP Diane Abbott.

Paul Ovenden, director of strategy No. 10, quit Monday when an email he sent in 2017 appeared.

The former Sunday newspaper reporter started working for labor in 2014 and is a close ally of the Prime Minister and his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.

Mr Owenden resigned to avoid becoming a “distraction” of the government, which has damaged the government in recent weeks in scandals.

The emails are understood to be part of internal information leaked in 2020 and show senior labor officials are openly plotting against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

Who is Paul Ovenden?

Paul Ovenden has resigned since January this year and has been resigning today. Mr Owenden resigned after the news came out about former Labor MP Diane Abbott.

He began his career as a journalist, working in the Telegraph and Sky on Sunday, before joining the Labor press officer under Jeremy Corbyn in 2014.

Ovenden served as the party’s director of attacks and rebuttals while working under Sir Keir, which put him in charge of procuring information to damage the Conservative campaign. In the role, he is also committed to defending Sir Keel from the political and personal attacks of the media.

He also served as Sir Keir’s special counsel since July 2024, and until today his clear information about Diane Abbott’s clear information was obtained by ITV News.

Mr Owenden is said to have discussed comments from the two female staff on sexual behavior involving Hackney North and Stoke Newington Councilman Ms. Abbott.

The 10th spokesman said: “The information is shocking and unacceptable. As the first black woman to be elected to parliament, Diane Abbott was a trailblazer who faced horrific abuse throughout his political career.

“This type of comment has no place in our politics.”

It was the latest blow to Sir Keir Starmer, with Labor MPs rolling up high-profile firings and resignations in recent weeks, including Angela Rayner, who fired the U.S. British ambassador in the tax scandal and Lord Peter Mandelson and Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein of the pedophile.

Labour has delayed Nigel Farage’s reforms in the UK in a public opinion poll, and has lost many council by-elections since Sir Keir became prime minister last July.

Last week, several ministers were fired after a cabinet reshuffle and cleared the Interior Ministry, accused of blocking the reforms needed to stop the boat.

Labour suspended Ms. Abbott in July because she said she had no regrets about racist comments in the past.

At the time she said, “It’s obvious that the Labor leader wants me out.”

Ms Abbott spoke before Ovenden’s resignation on Monday and said: “I don’t want to say we should have a new leader tomorrow, but we know there will be a series of elections in May, including Scotland and Wales.

“And we know that everyone says, especially the Scottish and Wales MPs, we’ll do a bad job in it. And, I think, if we do it well as people say, then, that’s what it is, that’s the future of Steamer and the future of labor leaders and labor prime ministers, it’s really going to end.”

Sir Kyle said on Monday that if he knew the scope of his relationship with the pedophile financier Epstein, he would never have appointed Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.

The Prime Minister fired Lord Mandelson last week but raised questions about his judgment on appointing his companions, whose friendship with Epstein was first and foremost public knowledge.

Sir Kyle provided public support to Lord Mandelson on Wednesday on the Prime Minister’s issue until he fired him the day after his email exchange with Epstein the next day.

The Prime Minister told the broadcaster that Lord Mandelson went through a proper due diligence process before his appointment. But he added: “I knew what I knew now, and I never appointed him.”