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Another day...another crisis

Daily Mirror UK

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September 16, 2025

Aide Ovenden resigns over Abbott sex toy jokes

- BY LIZZY BUCHAN Political Editor and SOPHIE HUSKISSON

Another day...another crisis

A SENIOR Downing Street aide has resigned after sexually explicit jokes he made about MP Diane Abbott were leaked, in a fresh blow to Keir Starmer.

Paul Ovenden, the Prime Minister's director of strategy, quit after it emerged that he had shared the derogatory comments with a female colleague while working in Labour's press team in 2017.

The loss of one of his closest advisers is a disaster for Mr Starmer, who is battling to get on the front foot after he was forced to sack Peter Mandelson as US ambassador over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

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