The often secret world of government special advisers

They work behind closed doors and they’re paid for by the taxpayer – to the tune of some £10 million in total, it turns out.

Details of the often-secret world of special advisers, known as Spads, have been revealed in the government’s latest annual report. Amongst the disclosures, it shows that the Prime Minister’s personal photographer Andrew Parsons, who’s described as “part time”, earns the equivalent of £100,000 a year.

The role was created even though a Ministry of Defence photographer already worked in Whitehall for the government.