Sign in / up

back to article UK gov 'Spads' hefty salaries released/buried

The Coalition government has released the names of all its special advisers who are paid more than £58,200. David Cameron has two men on salaries just under the ceiling for the posts. Craig Oliver and Andrew Cooper each trouser £140,000 a year and another adviser, Edward Llewellyn, gets £125,000. Seventeen other Spads to the …

COMMENTS

House rules Send corrections
This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Big Brother

    SPADS, eh?

    And me thinking about Special Assault and Destroying Sections.

    0 0
    1. Pen-y-gors
      Reply Icon

      Nah...

      I assumed they were referring to the WWI French aircraft (produced by Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés) - couldn't work out why they got a govt salary though.

      2 0
      1. disgruntled yank
        Reply Icon

        likewise

        And after all, who would you send in to deal with the Fokkers?

        1 0
    2. Hyphen
      Reply Icon
      FAIL

      SPADs

      Whereas I was thinking about train drivers who run reds...

      4 0
  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Compared with some of the people frequenting here

    Some of those salaries would seem fairly average.

    0 3
    1. kissingthecarpet
      Reply Icon
      Stop

      That's disturbing

      considering the intelligence level suggested by most comments...

      6 0
  3. asiaseen

    DC's SpAds

    don't seem to have been doing a very good job in the light of current events

    2 0
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      That's because in politics...

      ... there can only be one ace of SpAds, typically buried deep in the pack.

      4 0
  4. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    WTF?

    Edward Llewellyn?

    I thought he's the man they refer to as the "Chief of Staff" at 10 Downing Street.

    Should that not be a civil service post?

    The fellow who said he did *not* want Cameron briefed about "alleged" phone hacking allegations at NoTW to ensure there was no suggestion that Dave had bent any police ears.

    BTW It seems he also is a "former" employee of NI.

    Funny how many of those people turn up. It seems 10 of the 40 person Met Police PR unit are ex NI staff.

    And it seems *all* major UK political parties have one or two lurking about (although the BNP and UKIP seem don't seem to have any).

    All at such "reasonable" salaries. You'd be a fool not to employ such experienced staff.

    "Embedded" as it were with new masters.

    2 1
    1. Skoorb
      Reply Icon

      "Should that not be a civil service post?"

      Nope. Civil Servants keep their job when a government changes. If he was a civil servant then he wouldn't have the job as Tony Blair's chief of staff would still be there.

      0 0
      1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Reply Icon
        Happy

        @Skoorb

        I stand corrected. Much like the US White House system.

        Thank you for the information.

        0 0
    2. Alien8n
      Reply Icon
      Alien

      Previous employment

      Hardly surprising though to be honest, they'll have gotten the job due to their connections to the press (ie having worked at either TV, radio or dead tree news agencies). Only trouble being the fact that no self respecting BBC or Grauniad employee will work for a Tory, and NI own pretty much all the rest with a couple of notable exceptions. Bit difficult to hire decent staff when the pool is pretty much the scum that no one else wants to employ

      3 0
  5. adnim

    One would hope that

    all these SPADS will be independent, honest and above reproach. They will also be free of interest conflicts, not have any way to gain financially from the advice given. They will have no hidden agenda nor links to any business that might be advantaged from the advice they impart.

    After all it is not unreasonable to expect integrity from public employees and their advisors

    4 0
    1. Bumpy Cat
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Up

      It's ... it's beautiful ...

      Your post sums the situation up perfectly. Problem is, I don't know whether to laugh or cry ...

      4 0
    2. Steve Gill
      Reply Icon

      hope

      One would hope and expect that knowing they had served their country well would be enough reward but the odds are, unfortunately, stacked against such hope.

      0 0
    3. nyelvmark
      Reply Icon

      ...it is not unreasonable to expect integrity...

      Not unreasonable, no, but I wouldn't wager much money on your expectation, if I were you.

      0 0
  6. Magnus_Pym

    Is that 'special' ...

    ... as in 'special needs'.

    2 0
  7. TRT Silver badge

    Oh! I thought it meant...

    Signal Passed At Danger. Too London based I am, I reckon.

    1 0
  8. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    Duty or Punishment?

    "Their duties vary from sharing rooms with William Hague to providing political advice."

    I was thinking that wasn't a bad salary for just sharing a room, however, thinking about it a bit further, I guess it's a form of punishment.

    2 1
  9. Steve Dulieu

    Oi!

    As others have intimated, the railway's on the line, they want their acronym back...

    1 0
  10. Ossi
    WTF?

    Hmmm

    Compare these salaries to a university professor's salary (which wouldn't even make that reporting limit). Discuss why they're worth so much more. Please. I'm baffled.

    0 0
  11. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    For those who are wondering what a SPAD is...

    It refers to Sucking Political Arse Daily.

    Sorry, that's silly and chidish, it's:

    Slow Pathetic Aimless Ditherer

    Nope, wait...

    SocioPolitical Attention Disorder

    Yep, that's the puppy!

    1 0
  12. deadlift

    This is the title

    SpAds are considered "temporary civil servants" and are bound by the Civil Service Code - apart from the sections on impartiality....

    0 0
  13. nyelvmark
    Boffin

    @Hmmm

    Well, maybe you could start here:

    "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith

    http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3300

    0 0
    1. Intractable Potsherd
      Reply Icon

      Point of order.

      Please use the "Reply" button. It is there for a reason.

      0 0
      1. nyelvmark
        Reply Icon
        Boffin

        @Intractable Potsherd

        I thought I had, but this post, like most of those I make here, was made late at night and fuelled by a considerable quantity of the stuff that makes you live longer. My apologies if '@' is difficult for you to understand.

        0 0
This topic is closed for new posts.