A bloated army of spin doctors costing nearly £1million a year
THE Scottish Government is employing a growing number of spin doctors, with the cost to the taxpayer set to soar towards £1million a year.
The burgeoning gang of ‘special advisers’ have been accused of unfairly vetting the release of public information and having undue influence on Government policy.
Despite promises by the SNP to crack down on their number, the bloated department of spin continues to expand.
Scottish Government figures show the team grew from ten in June 2016 to 14 in November 2017 – with half being paid salaries of more than £65,000 a year.
The lowest paid advisers get £40,000£50,000. The average salary in Scotland is just over £23,000.
Critics yesterday accused the SNP of going back on its word to create a ‘leaner’ government.
Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden criticised the ‘jobs for the boys’ culture which has seen former senior SNP figures made special advisers.
Nicola Sturgeon has made a series of new appointments to the team of SpAds (special advisers), including former MP Callum McCaig and exMSP Stewart Maxwell, independence campaigner Kate Higgins and former Citizens Advice public affairs manager Jeannette Campbell.
Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘The Scottish Government came to power promising to trim the number of advisers, but their commitment has been ditched.
‘The public have every right to be concerned about the growing complement of special advisers and the power they appear to wield.’
The 14 special advisers are employed to give advice on policy, write speeches and deal with the press, but there were only nine when the SNP came to power.
It recently emerged SpAds are playing an increasing role in government, including vetting ‘politically sensitive’ freedom of information requests from journalists, politicians and political researchers.
In the 2016-17 financial year, when there were never more than 13 in post and their employment was disrupted by the Scottish election campaign, the total cost to the public purse was £897,714.
The Government would only say the current cost would be given to parliament ‘in due course’ – but it is expected to be nearing £1million. Tory chief whip Mr Golden said: ‘The SNP came to government saying it would crack down on this kind of thing. Instead, it can’t help itself constantly adding to its taxpayerfunded ranks.
‘People will see these increases, and the number of former SNP figures who’ve landed these roles, and conclude it’s jobs for the boys.’
The SNP triumphed in the 2007 Holyrood election with a promise to slim down government.
In Alex Salmond’s first year as First Minister, he cut the number of Cabinet secretaries and junior ministers, and also reduced the number of SpAds to nine, costing £480,251.
However, numbers have gradually crept up and a Government update in November 2017 said there were 14 special advisers in post.
Labour MSP Rhoda Grant said: ‘People will be shocked so much public money is being spent by the SNP on special advisers. All the spin doctors in the world could not protect Nicola Sturgeon from her shambolic record on NHS and schools.
‘The people want transparency, not their tax money paying an army of people to try to hide the truth.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Special advisers support the work of the Government in delivering better outcomes for Scotland. There are 14 special advisers, the same as were employed in 2015-16.
‘The cost in 2016-17 of employing special advisers was £242,390 less than in 2015-16. The figures for 201718 will be laid before parliament in due course.’
‘It’s jobs for the boys’