Spending on Government Spin Trebles
Jack Writer | 31.08.2006 21:43 | Analysis | Culture
Official figures obtained by the Conservative Party bring to light the astonishing expansion of the Whitehall press machine under Tony Blair’s government.
Taxpayers are now supporting a contingent of over 3,200 press officers and public relations staff. A total of 1,815 PR staff work at Whitehall, with John Prescott rumoured to have about three, despite not having a department. A further 1,444 are employed by a long list of up to 200 agencies, subsequently being paid for out of the public coffers. This brings the total number of press officers and spin doctors to a shocking 3,259.
After Labour came to power in 1997, just over 300 permanent press officers were working in Whitehall. Under Tony Blair’s government that figure has ballooned by approximately just over 100%, while the amount spent on marketing, advertising and public relations has increased three-fold.
The Central Office for Information has seen its marketing, advertising and public relations budget rocket from £111 million in 1997 to £322 million last year.
Critics are said to have expressed concern over the figures, highlighting that government spending on advertising and marketing tends to increase in the year of an election, prompting suspicions that the Labour government is using public money to increase its party’s publicity and to push key policies in the media.
The Tories pointed out that these figures do not include the 77 politically appointed specialist advisors who work for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet already.
The Central Office for Information’s budget rose from £200 million in 1999-2000 to £295 million just 12 months before the 2001 election. In 2003-2004 a total of £317 million was spent but the budget rose again to £343 million in the period before last year’s election.
Oliver Heald, the shadow Cabinet Office secretary said “Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and their army of quangocrats have bankrolled a bloated army of spin doctors, politicising the Civil Service and creating a corrosive culture of spin n Whitehall.”
Defending the budget rises, the Central Office for Information stated that it had a duty to explain its policies, decisions and actions and to inform members of the public about their rights and liabilities. No comment was said to be given regarding the suspicious rises in budget in the months before the last two elections.
After Labour came to power in 1997, just over 300 permanent press officers were working in Whitehall. Under Tony Blair’s government that figure has ballooned by approximately just over 100%, while the amount spent on marketing, advertising and public relations has increased three-fold.
The Central Office for Information has seen its marketing, advertising and public relations budget rocket from £111 million in 1997 to £322 million last year.
Critics are said to have expressed concern over the figures, highlighting that government spending on advertising and marketing tends to increase in the year of an election, prompting suspicions that the Labour government is using public money to increase its party’s publicity and to push key policies in the media.
The Tories pointed out that these figures do not include the 77 politically appointed specialist advisors who work for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet already.
The Central Office for Information’s budget rose from £200 million in 1999-2000 to £295 million just 12 months before the 2001 election. In 2003-2004 a total of £317 million was spent but the budget rose again to £343 million in the period before last year’s election.
Oliver Heald, the shadow Cabinet Office secretary said “Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and their army of quangocrats have bankrolled a bloated army of spin doctors, politicising the Civil Service and creating a corrosive culture of spin n Whitehall.”
Defending the budget rises, the Central Office for Information stated that it had a duty to explain its policies, decisions and actions and to inform members of the public about their rights and liabilities. No comment was said to be given regarding the suspicious rises in budget in the months before the last two elections.
Jack Writer
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jack-writer@hotmail.co.uk