One of Sir Keir Starmer’s most senior advisers made sexually explicit and offensive remarks about veteran MP Diane Abbott, ITV News can reveal.
Messages seen by ITV News show Paul Ovenden, who served as the Director of Strategy in Downing Street and was one of a handful of top aides in Number 10, admitting to discussing Ms Abbott in derogatory sexual terms with Labour colleagues in 2017.
In light of the messages revealed by ITV News, Mr Ovenden has resigned from his role at Number 10.
Mr Ovenden, who earned between £115,000 and £120,000 a year, recalled having played a more explicit version of the game of ‘snog, marry, avoid’ with Labour Party colleagues the previous day, saying, “I nearly wet myself from laughing.”
In the exchange, which took place on the Labour Party’s internal instant messaging system, Mr Ovenden recounted a conversation involving a sex toy and multiple sex acts directed at Ms Abbott, which he himself described as “outrageous”.
Also on News at Ten:
Police preparing for the US president’s state visit are “content” with their security plans despite expected protests and the recent assassination of Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk.
Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt, from Thames Valley Police (TVP), told journalists that preparations are under daily review, but had already been set up to deal with a very high threat level because of the nature of the visit.
The state visit is taking place within the private grounds of Windsor Castle and Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country home.
“We are constantly keeping under review our approach to these operations. We’re doing that on a daily basis, right through the planning phase,” Mr Bunt said.
And:
Donald Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in the Middle East with the tough mission of trying to rescue peace talks over Gaza.
His trip, first to Jerusalem and then to Qatar, follows Israel’s bombing of Hamas headquarters in Doha.
Opening a summit for Arab and Islamic nations, Qatar’s ruling emir launched a ferocious condemnation of Israel, accusing it of trying to make Gaza "unliveable."
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