Special adviser (UK)


A special adviser works in a supporting role to the British government. With media, political or policy expertise, their duty is to assist and advise government ministers. They are often referred to as ’SpAds’ or ’Spads’. Being a special adviser has become a frequent career stage for young politicians, before being elected Members of Parliament, which has attracted criticism in recent years.
Special advisers are paid by central government and are styled as so-called ’temporary civil servants’ appointed under Article 3 of the Civil Service Order in Council 1995. They contrast with ’permanent’ civil servants in the respect that they are political appointees whose loyalties are claimed by the governing party and often particular ministers with whom they have a close relationship. For this reason, advisers may resign when a general election is called to campaign on behalf of their party. Special advisers have sometimes been criticised for engaging in advocacy while still on the government payroll or switching directly between lobbying roles and the special adviser role.

Background

Special advisers were first appointed from 1964 under the Harold Wilson's first Labour government to provide political advice to Ministers and have been subsequently utilised by all following governments.

Code of conduct

Advisers are governed by a code of conduct which goes some way to defining their role and delineates relations with the permanent civil service, contact with the media and relationship with the governing party, inter alia:
The rules for their appointment, and status in relation to ministers, are set out in the Ministerial Code.

Former special advisers

Some former special advisers, such as Ed Balls, James Purnell, Ed Miliband and David Miliband, go on to become Members of Parliament or, like Lady Vadera, are given a peerage in order that they may take up a ministerial post. A large number have also gone on to accept lucrative jobs in the private sector. Other famous special advisers include former Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell and Jo Moore, who was embroiled in scandal while working as adviser to the Secretary of State Transport, Local Government and the Regions Stephen Byers.

Number and cost of special advisers

There is no legal limit on the number of special advisers, although the current total is less than it was under Tony Blair. The government had previously accepted calls, made in 2000 by the Neill Committee on Standards in Public Life, for such a legal cap. By 2002, however, the government had altered its position, saying in response to the Wicks Committee report on standards in public life that "the Government does not believe that the issue of special advisers can be considered as a numerical issue. The issue is about being transparent about accountability, roles and responsibilities and numbers". At the last full reporting the government had 68 such personnel in its employment, 18 of whom worked in 10 Downing Street. Special advisers may be paid up to £142,668. Before his resignation Andy Coulson was the highest paid special adviser with a salary of £140,000. The total cost of special advisers in 2006–07 was £5.9 million.

Recent special advisers

Johnson Ministry">Second Johnson ministry">Johnson Ministry (December 2019)

As of December 2019, there are 109 special advisors working for the government. This includes 44 special advisors working for the Prime Minister. The following advisors are included in Pay Band 4, and are paid between £95,000 to a maximum of £145,000, though this salary differs per advisor.
Special AdviserRole
Lee CainDowning Street Director of Communications
Dominic CummingsChief/Senior Adviser
Nikki Da CostaDirector of Legislative Affairs
David FrostPrime Minister's Europe Advisor
Andrew GriffithPrime Minister's Chief Business Advisor
Sir Ed ListerPrime Minister's Chief Strategic Advisor
Munira MirzaDirector of Number 10 Policy Unit

Other special advisors for other departments include:
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, First Secretary of State
Secretary of State for the Home Department

Office of the Prime Minister

Former special advisers to David Cameron:
Special AdviserRole
Andy CoulsonDirector of Communications to the Prime Ministerresigned in 2011, later convicted in News International phone hacking scandalreplaced by Craig Oliver
Steve HiltonAdviser on Strategyleft in 2012 for Stanford University-
Henry MacroryAdviser on Pressleft in 2011 to join CCHQ as deputy political director-
James O'ShaughnessyDirector of Policyleft in 2011 to join Portland Communications and Policy Exchange-
Tim ChatwinHead of Strategic Communicationsleft in 2011 to join Googlereplaced by Ameet Gill
Gavin Lockhart-MiramsAdviser on PolicyLeft in 2011 to set up Crest Advisory
Peter CampbellResearcher and Briefer for Questions to the Prime Ministerleft in 2011-
Sean WorthAdviser on Policyleft in 2012 to join Policy Exchange-
Patrick RockAdviser on Policyresigned in 2014 after arrest on suspicion of making indecent images of children, was later convicted-

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Other Cabinet Ministers

First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Second Lord to the Treasury
Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice
Secretary of State for the Home Department
Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Secretary of State for Education
Chief Whip
The Cabinet Office released a

[Brown Ministry] (June 2007 – May 2010)

Office of the Prime Minister

Gordon Brown released a of special advisers as of 22 November 2007.

In fiction

Fiction set within the Westminster village frequently includes characters that are special advisers, such as Frank Weisel in Yes Minister and Glen Cullen in The Thick of It at the ministerial level, and figures like Malcolm Tucker seen operating at the apex of power, often overriding or manipulating Prime Ministers and other world leaders.

Footnotes