Much maligned by the media as Machiavellian masters of the dark arts, Special Advisers are a vital coil in the machinery of Government.
First appointed by Harold Wilson’s Labour Government in the 1970s, and subsequently immortalised by TV series such as The Thick of It, Spads, as they are commonly known, play a crucial role in modern Government. They serve as the eyes and ears of their political masters, providing a political dimension to the impartial advice that their Ministers receive from the permanent civil service. They are an important conduit between Ministers, the media and interest groups, whose support is important to cultivate to affect meaningful policy change.
