Ex-adviser Paul Ovenden says ‘political perma-class’ has distracted government, but critics argue ministers already have power to act Downing Street only has itself to blame for failing to exercise power, Whitehall experts have said, after a former No 10 adviser said that lobbying by a “political perma-class” had distracted the government from voters’ priorities. Paul Ovenden prompted a debate about how Keir Starmer’s administration is governing after criticising what he described as the “sheer weirdness of how Whitehall spends its time”. Continue reading...