THE BBC knew of derogatory messages about veteran MP Diane Abbott sent by a Keir Starmer aide before the 2024 General Election but “refused to publish”, former top Labour officials have claimed.
Paul Ovenden, who resigned as No 10’s director of strategy in a blow for Starmer’s administration, had discussed Abbott in a series of messages in 2017. They were published by ITV News on Monday.
Mish Rahman, who served on Labour’s National Executive Committee until 2024, said on social media that the BBC had approached him for comment on Ovenden's messages more than a year before they emerged in the media.
“I was aware about this during the General Election campaign,” Rahman said, sharing news of Ovenden’s messages. “I even provided the following quote to @BBCNewsnight.
“In the end they and @Channel4News refused to publish. It's clear the gloves are off now and instead of protecting Starmer as they did before – his time is done.”
In the comment allegedly prepared for Newsnight, Rahman called Ovenden’s comments “vile and grotesque” and called for the close Starmer aide to be fired.
“These are the kind of racist and sexist attitudes in Starmer’s top team which have led to the targeting of women of colour on the left of the party,” he added.
Writing in the wake of Ovenden’s exit, Rahman said: “I provided this comment on June 3 2024, before the election [on July 4 2024].
“@Labourpress knew and helped press bury the story. Starmer then promoted Ovenden after the election.
“Like [Peter] Mandelson, Starmer and [Morgan] McSweeney knew about Ovenden.”
Matt Zarb-Cousin, a former spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn during his time as leader of the opposition, made a similar claim.
He wrote: “Infer from this what you will but I can state categorically that the broadcast media, including the BBC, has known about those Paul Ovenden messages since before the election.
“Whether it’s narrative-driven or politically motivated, we deserve better than information being dripped out at the discretion of biased broadcast news editors.
"This was clearly in the public interest and could have impacted the election or the composition of 10 Downing Street.”
He added: “The media knew about Partygate long before it decided that was a problem.
“The media knew of Mandelson’s proximity to [Jeffrey] Epstein long before it decided that was a problem.
“The media saw Paul Ovenden’s messages long before it decided they were a problem.
“Mad how this stuff works.”
Rahman quit the Labour Party in April 2025, accusing Starmer of a "war" against his own party's members.
The BBC has been asked for comment.
Ovenden, said by some Westminster watchers to be among those closest to the Prime Minister, is the third figure at the heart of Government to have made an exit in recent weeks.
Angela Rayner stood down from her roles as deputy prime minister, housing secretary, and Labour deputy leader, in a row over tax paid on her seaside home, and Peter Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to Washington by the Prime Minister for his links to the paedophile US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
