Power Struggle: Politicians and the Battle for Control

In the world of politics, it seems like politicians are having a tough time getting things done. A former advisor to the prime minister, Paul Ovenden, recently shared his thoughts on this issue. He believes that politicians have given away too much power to lawyers, activists, and regulators. This has made it difficult for them to keep their promises. Ovenden, who used to work as the director of political strategy for Keir Starmer, talked about how the British state has grown bigger but has also weakened itself. He used the case of Alaa Abd El Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist, to illustrate this point. The case took up a lot of time and resources, which Ovenden found odd. He suggested that politicians need to take back control. He believes that with strong determination, they can make changes. Ovenden also thinks that Starmer is the right person to lead these changes. He mentioned that Starmer feels the same frustrations. Another person who shared his thoughts was Chris Powell. He worked on four Labour general elections and is the brother of the PM's adviser Jonathan Powell. He believes that the Labour government needs a major overhaul to tackle the growing threat from Reform UK. Powell wrote that voters are fed up and feel ignored. This comes at a time when the prime minister is facing a challenging year. There are local elections in May and the possibility of a leadership challenge from within the Labour Party.Abd El Fattah was released from an Egyptian jail after more than a decade. He was convicted of spreading fake news about torture. His arrival in the UK was initially welcomed by the prime minister. However, things took a turn when social media posts emerged. In these posts, Abd El Fattah called for the killing of Zionists and police officers. Sir Keir said he was unaware of these posts and that the government was reviewing the case. Ovenden reflected on the case, saying it was a distraction. He believes that politicians have handed away power to various bodies and organizations. This has made it difficult for them to focus on their priorities. Ovenden gave examples of issues he considered distractions, such as paying colonial reparations or banning vaping in pub gardens. He argued that the government should scale back some of its legal obligations. This includes environmental obligations for building and the right to launch legal challenges against government policies through judicial reviews. His comments echo those of the prime minister. Sir Keir recently said that he finds it frustrating to pull a lever and not see immediate action. He believes that every time something goes wrong, another procedure or body is put in place. This makes it difficult for the government to deliver on its promises.