Difference between revisions of "UK Government Special Advisers"
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Although such Advisers hold a huge amount of power, none of them are elected and very few of their jobs are advertised - they are all political appointees. | Although such Advisers hold a huge amount of power, none of them are elected and very few of their jobs are advertised - they are all political appointees. | ||
| − | Many former advisers to the Labour Party have moved on to very well-paid jobs with lobbying and PR companies.<ref>[http://www.gmb.org.uk/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/5D3DCAA1-15AB-4CF0-B7A5-EB449C165AF2_ListofAdvisersApril2006congressFINAL.pdf Where are they now? The 1997/1998 Special Advisers to the Labour Government], briefing for GMB, April 2006, p.4.</ref> [[Tim Allan]], a former Downing Street Adviser, became Director of Corporate Communications for [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s BSkyB. [[Anji Hunter]], Tony Blair's former 'Gatekeeper' private secretary, took over as | + | Many former advisers to the Labour Party have moved on to very well-paid jobs with lobbying and PR companies.<ref>[http://www.gmb.org.uk/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/5D3DCAA1-15AB-4CF0-B7A5-EB449C165AF2_ListofAdvisersApril2006congressFINAL.pdf Where are they now? The 1997/1998 Special Advisers to the Labour Government], briefing for GMB, April 2006, p.4.</ref> [[Tim Allan]], a former Downing Street Adviser, became Director of Corporate Communications for [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s BSkyB. [[Anji Hunter]], Tony Blair's former 'Gatekeeper' private secretary, took over as director of dommunications at BP on a salary of £200,000,<ref>[http://www.gmb.org.uk/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/5D3DCAA1-15AB-4CF0-B7A5-EB449C165AF2_ListofAdvisersApril2006congressFINAL.pdf Where are they now? The 1997/1998 Special Advisers to the Labour Government], briefing for GMB, April 2006, p.5.</ref> and now works as a consultant to the lobbying firm [[Edelman]]. |
Like the majority of the Labour Government, most of the Special Advisers have been to Oxford or Cambridge Universities. Several Advisers have been friends with senior Labour Party figures for many years, others are partners of millionaires or bosses and all come from a self-perpetuating middle class elite that thrives on patronage, using it to by-pass the grubby world of democracy and slip into positions of power and influence. When the 2001 election was called, most of the Government's Special Advisers resigned, mainly to work in the election campaign. Most returned to their jobs, although some lost their patron Minister in the June 2001 reshuffle and moved into the private sector. For full details, check out the Former Advisers section. | Like the majority of the Labour Government, most of the Special Advisers have been to Oxford or Cambridge Universities. Several Advisers have been friends with senior Labour Party figures for many years, others are partners of millionaires or bosses and all come from a self-perpetuating middle class elite that thrives on patronage, using it to by-pass the grubby world of democracy and slip into positions of power and influence. When the 2001 election was called, most of the Government's Special Advisers resigned, mainly to work in the election campaign. Most returned to their jobs, although some lost their patron Minister in the June 2001 reshuffle and moved into the private sector. For full details, check out the Former Advisers section. | ||
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==Resources== | ==Resources== | ||
===Special Advisers by government=== | ===Special Advisers by government=== | ||
| + | *[[UK Government Special Advisers 2010-2015]] | ||
*[[UK Government Special Advisers 2005-2010]] | *[[UK Government Special Advisers 2005-2010]] | ||
*[[UK Government Special Advisers 2001-2005]] | *[[UK Government Special Advisers 2001-2005]] | ||
| Line 26: | Line 27: | ||
===Special Advisers by year=== | ===Special Advisers by year=== | ||
| + | *[[UK Government Special Advisers 2016 Conservatives]] | ||
| + | *[[UK Government Special Advisers 2014 Conservatives]] | ||
*[[UK Government Special Advisers 2010 Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition]] | *[[UK Government Special Advisers 2010 Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition]] | ||
*[[UK Government Special Advisers 2009 Labour]] | *[[UK Government Special Advisers 2009 Labour]] | ||
| Line 37: | Line 40: | ||
*[http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-03813.pdf Special advisers: House of Commons Library research note SN/PC/03813] | *[http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-03813.pdf Special advisers: House of Commons Library research note SN/PC/03813] | ||
*[http://www.civilservant.org.uk/spads.shtml Special Advisers - What are they?] | *[http://www.civilservant.org.uk/spads.shtml Special Advisers - What are they?] | ||
| + | *[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/253081/SPAD_list_Live_UPDATE.pdf SPECIAL ADVISERS IN POST ON FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2013] | ||
*[http://www.powerbase.info/images/7/79/SpAd_List-1-.pdf Special Advisers at 10 June 2010] | *[http://www.powerbase.info/images/7/79/SpAd_List-1-.pdf Special Advisers at 10 June 2010] | ||
*[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090716/wmstext/90716m0008.htm Special Advisers at 16 July 2009] | *[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090716/wmstext/90716m0008.htm Special Advisers at 16 July 2009] | ||
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<references/> | <references/> | ||
| − | [[Category:UK Civil Service]] | + | [[Category:UK Civil Service]][[Category:Special Advisers]] |
Latest revision as of 15:18, 9 January 2017
Special advisers are temporary civil servants, exempted from normal civil service impartiality requirements in order to allow them to give political advice to Ministers.[1] Since 1997 there have been a number of moves to increase their ability to direct permanent civil servants.[2]
Whilst there had been Special Advisers employed by Governments in the past, their numbers increased by a huge amount under Tony Blair, rising to a total of 80 in November 2001. Tony Blair had 29, mainly in the new Downing Street Policy Directorate and his Strategic Communications Unit.
The bill for these Advisers was £4.4 million in 2001, making the average salary nearly £60,000. The total salary bill for Tony Blair's private office was £10.8 million in 1999. The pay of most Advisers is kept secret, but it is known that both Alastair Campbell, Blair's Press Secretary and Jonathan Powell, Downing Street Chief of Staff, were paid more than £120,000.
Although such Advisers hold a huge amount of power, none of them are elected and very few of their jobs are advertised - they are all political appointees.
Many former advisers to the Labour Party have moved on to very well-paid jobs with lobbying and PR companies.[3] Tim Allan, a former Downing Street Adviser, became Director of Corporate Communications for Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB. Anji Hunter, Tony Blair's former 'Gatekeeper' private secretary, took over as director of dommunications at BP on a salary of £200,000,[4] and now works as a consultant to the lobbying firm Edelman.
Like the majority of the Labour Government, most of the Special Advisers have been to Oxford or Cambridge Universities. Several Advisers have been friends with senior Labour Party figures for many years, others are partners of millionaires or bosses and all come from a self-perpetuating middle class elite that thrives on patronage, using it to by-pass the grubby world of democracy and slip into positions of power and influence. When the 2001 election was called, most of the Government's Special Advisers resigned, mainly to work in the election campaign. Most returned to their jobs, although some lost their patron Minister in the June 2001 reshuffle and moved into the private sector. For full details, check out the Former Advisers section.
Some advisers have now moved on to safe Labour seats, vacated by long-standing MPs who were given peerages to get them out of the way, including David Miliband, James Purnell and Andy Burnham, all former members of the Downing Street Policy Unit.
See the Resources section for internal links to the relevant pages of the special advisers in each government.
Contents
Resources
Special Advisers by government
- UK Government Special Advisers 2010-2015
- UK Government Special Advisers 2005-2010
- UK Government Special Advisers 2001-2005
- UK Government Special Advisers 1997-2001
- UK Government Special Advisers 1992-1997
- UK Government Special Advisers 1987-1992
- UK Government Special Advisers 1983-1987
- UK Government Special Advisers 1979-1983
Special Advisers by year
- UK Government Special Advisers 2016 Conservatives
- UK Government Special Advisers 2014 Conservatives
- UK Government Special Advisers 2010 Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition
- UK Government Special Advisers 2009 Labour
- UK Government Special Advisers 2002 Labour
- UK Government Special Advisers 1997 Labour
External resources
- Code of Conduct for Special Advisers accessed 12.09.10
- Model Contract for Special Advisers accessed 12.09.10
- 2006 GMB report: Where are they now? The 1997/1998 Special Advisers to the Labour Government
- Special advisers: House of Commons Library research note SN/PC/03813
- Special Advisers - What are they?
- SPECIAL ADVISERS IN POST ON FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2013
- Special Advisers at 10 June 2010
- Special Advisers at 16 July 2009
- Special Advisers at 22 July 2008
- Special Advisers at 22 November 2007
- Special Advisers at 24 July 2006
- Special Advisers at 21 July 2005
- Special Advisers at 19 July 2004
Notes
- ↑ Code of Conduct for Special Advisors, Cabinet Office, accessed 21 July 2009.
- ↑ Special Advisers - What are they?, civilservant.org.uk, accessed 21 July 2009.
- ↑ Where are they now? The 1997/1998 Special Advisers to the Labour Government, briefing for GMB, April 2006, p.4.
- ↑ Where are they now? The 1997/1998 Special Advisers to the Labour Government, briefing for GMB, April 2006, p.5.
