Government is ‘blowing £270million a year on army of 6,500 spin doctors’ instead of cutting public services
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Labour is being urged to slash the 6,500-strong army of government spin doctors instead of cutting public services.
New figures reveal that some Whitehall departments and quangos are employing more than 100 civil servants in press offices, marketing and social media.
With an average salary of £41,800, it could mean the total annual bill for the 6,500 staff in the Government communication service is a staggering £271 million.
And the costs to taxpayers of the state spin machine are set to rise further still as the Government is advertising a £1.7 billion contract for media and advertising.
Last night, Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart told the Mail: ‘This is an absurd waste of taxpayers’ money.
‘They’re growing an army of spin doctors to defend indefensible decisions, like snatching winter fuel payments from vulnerable pensioners.’
The figures, which the Tories obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show that NHS England had the most staff in communications roles, with 289 last year.
Next is HM Revenue & Customs with 235. UK Research and Innovation had 191 communication workers last year.
Labour is being urged to slash the 6,500-strong army of government spin doctors instead of cutting public services. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart (pictured) told the Mail: ‘This is an absurd waste of taxpayers’ money’
The figures, which the Tories obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show that NHS England had the most staff in communications roles, with 289 last year
Labour sources insisted that the Government already has a target of reducing departmental administration costs by 15 per cent over the next five years.
This is including communications teams, delivering savings of more than £2 billion a year by 2030 and targeting spending on frontline services.
A Cabinet Office source said: ‘These officials were nearly all recruited on the Tories’ watch as they broke their promises over and over again by repeatedly increasing the size of the civil service.’
