THE Scotland Office’s spending on spin doctors has jumped by more than 60% in the last seven years, The National can reveal.
Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request showed that the cost of communications staff at the department had risen from £819,640 in 2018-19 to £1.3 million in the last financial year.
The number of spin doctors in that period has remained relatively stable – starting at 16 before rising to a peak of 19 in 2022-23 before falling to 17 in the most recent financial year, figures released to the SNP and shared with this paper showed.
And advertising spend has also fallen in the same space of time, going from £58,046 down to £36,704 in 2023-24.
In its response to the request, the Scotland Office noted that it has “only spent money on social media advertising”.
Pete Wishart (above), the SNP’s deputy leader in Westminster, said it was “no surprise” spending had gone up, adding: “The poor souls are being forced to keep up with Anas Sarwar's changing positions on everything from the two-child cap to the Winter Fuel Payment – that's backbreaking work.
“Ian Murray can spend however much he likes, but there is no spinning away the fact that the Labour Party promised 'change', but has delivered nothing but pain and broken promises – the Scotland Office is nothing more than another PR wing of broken, Brexit Britain.”
Wishart said Labour’s first six months in power had seen them “betray” Waspi women, while stripping pensioners of their heating support payments, locking in Tory welfare cuts and delivering an economy “that would make Liz Truss shudder”.
He added: “While support for the Labour Government plummets, they can pump as much cash into a zombie Scotland Office as they like because the fact is people know the SNP will always put Scotland's interests first and that's what SNP MPs will continue to do in 2025 with John Swinney relentlessly focussed on delivering for the people of Scotland.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “The Scotland Office plays a vital role in representing Scotland's interests at the heart of the UK Government, and promoting Scotland around the world.
“Communicating government policy to the media, the public and stakeholders across Scotland is vital to the smooth running of government.
“The Secretary of State for Scotland and his team are working hard to make life better for people in Scotland and deliver the Prime Minister's plan for change.”
They said that the Scotland Office was promoting Scotland abroad through Brand Scotland, “ensuring Scotland is at the heart of our green energy revolution” by having Great British Energy headquartered in Aberdeen and resetting the relationship with the Scottish Government.
The two governments were “working together” on the child poverty taskforce, announced by Labour shortly after the election, the spokesperson added.
