Should ministers spend so much on their advisers?

Should ministers have so many special advisers? Should a party that promised to cut the number of these SpAds if it came to government admit that it got this wrong, having increased their number? The arguments in favour of more of these political staffers in government are well-rehearsed: if they’re good, they add expertise and political nouse to a department and they make it easier for ministers to communicate what they’re up to. Some are hopeless at both these things, but the best ones – and there are many excellent ones in both main parties at the moment – often keep the show on the road and ensure reforms actually happen.

Last week it emerged that the SpAd bill had risen from £8.4 million in 2013/14 to £9.2 million in 2014/15. There are now 96 SpAds, so clearly David Cameron and his colleagues agree with the above arguments. And no-one agrees more than George Osborne, who is surrounded by a regiment of advisers.