Aide to Keir Starmer quits after emergence of sexually explicit messages about Diane Abbott; calls for probe grow

A senior aide to Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned on Tuesday after messages from 2017 emerged in which he relayed sexually explicit and derogatory comments about veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott, prompting calls for an independent investigation into culture inside Number 10.

Paul Ovenden, who had been serving as the prime minister’s director of strategy, stepped down saying he was "truly, deeply sorry" for the "hurt" the messages would cause and that he did not want to become a distraction to the government. The messages, exchanged in 2017 when Ovenden worked as a Labour Party press officer, include a retelling of a "shag, marry, kill" game and graphic references to sexual acts involving Abbott, now 71.

Abbott, who has been the subject of past disputes over culture and conduct within the party, described the revelations as "very unpleasant," according to published reports. The disclosures and Ovenden’s departure have renewed scrutiny of the Labour Party’s internal culture after a 2022 inquiry led by barrister Martin Forde found allegations of bullying, racism and sexism within Labour.

Yorkshire MP Rachael Maskell, who has had the Labour whip suspended after rebelling over welfare reforms, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the incident pointed to a "rotten" and "toxic" culture "festering around No 10" and repeated her call for an independent investigation into decision-making and standards in Downing Street.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the episode illustrated the prime minister’s "bad judgment" in those he hires, saying the government must meet "the highest standards of behaviour and professionalism." Conservative comments reflected growing political pressure for answers and possible further fallout as more material becomes public.

The messages were disclosed ahead of publication of an investigatory book by journalist Paul Holden titled The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney and the Crisis of British Democracy, which the author and publisher have said will include further revelations. Holden told broadcasters that "a lot more revelations" about senior figures connected to the government will come to light but declined to identify individuals before the book’s release. The publisher’s description of the book contends that Starmer has been a figurehead for a political project led by Morgan McSweeney, whom it describes as now serving as Downing Street chief of staff.

Downing Street did not immediately detail internal vetting or recruitment procedures that led to Ovenden’s appointment, and officials declined immediate comment on whether further steps would be taken beyond his resignation. Ovenden framed his departure as intended to spare the prime minister and the government further distraction.

Ovenden’s exit is the third high-profile departure from the orbit of the prime minister in recent weeks, following the exits of Angela Rayner and Lord Peter Mandelson, developments that have contributed to a sense of instability around No 10 among political observers and opponents. The timing has amplified questions about personnel decisions and the robustness of conduct oversight within the party’s apparatus.

The messages in question were sent via internal Labour Party communications in 2017; their circulation now raises concerns that additional historic material may surface. Critics and opponents have suggested any pattern of derogatory or demeaning behaviour by current or former staff would merit formal inquiry, while allies of the prime minister have stressed the need to establish context and provenance before drawing broader conclusions.

The episode comes as Labour seeks to steady its government after electoral victory, balancing responses to misconduct allegations with the need to set a governing agenda. Calls for clarification and potential independent scrutiny are likely to continue as the book’s publication approaches and as political parties assess the implications for trust and conduct at the centre of government.