Senior Starmer adviser quits over offensive Diane Abbott messages

Departure of political strategy director Paul Ovenden is yet another setback for PM after Mandelson and Rayner exits

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A senior adviser to Keir Starmer has resigned after it was revealed he sent inappropriate messages about the Labour MP Diane Abbott eight years ago.

Paul Ovenden quit on Monday as the prime minister’s director of political strategy after details emerged about a sexually explicit WhatsApp conversation he had in 2017.