Government spending on influencers has reached £2.3 million since the election, with 11 Whitehall departments and major public bodies paying online content creators and agencies to promote policies and services.
The campaigns have included model Daisy Lowe promoting heat pumps and reality television personality Gemma Collins discussing vocational education. Ministers say social media platforms and public figures are increasingly necessary to reach audiences.
But Mike Wood, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, accused Labour of using public money to compensate for its shortcomings.
“The Government is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on influencers in a feeble attempt to cover for its failures,” he said. “It is becoming increasingly clear that if Labour want praise, they must pay for it.”
The Department for Education was the biggest spender among those identified, paying £119,300 in 2024/25, £589,671 in the following financial year and a further £10,000 so far in the current year.
It used 57 influencers last year in paid partnerships, public relations work and content creation covering teacher training, nursery careers and skills training. The department did not pay Ms Collins, who visited its headquarters in May for a social-media-promoted conversation with Bridget Phillipson, then education secretary.
Suella Braverman, of Reform UK, criticised the spending. “While we have fewer teachers, special education needs in crisis and over 1 million young people not in education, training or employment. The Department for Education should be ashamed of itself,” she said.
HM Revenue & Customs spent £591,200 on social media influencer activity between July 2024 and August this year. It said it carried out due diligence on potential influencers before using 44 of them in campaigns.
The Cabinet Office had spent £365,331 by February this year, using 22 influencers to raise awareness of Government schemes and initiatives and promote the UK internationally.
Other spending included £302,873.83 by the Department for Transport, £212,425 by the Department for Work and Pensions and £206,140 by the Ministry of Justice.
Transport minister Justin Madders said the media landscape had changed substantially and that the Government had a duty to communicate through channels trusted by the public.
“Content Creators are paid fairly for their services, time and expertise in content creation,” he said. “Without targeted campaigns, millions of citizens would miss out on services, rights, and support to which they are entitled.”
