Scottish Government special advisers 'must be brought out of the shadows and exposed to scrutiny'
A new book co-written by a former first minister calls the current situation ‘unacceptable’
Special advisers in the Scottish Government enjoy power with little responsibility and must be "brought out of the shadows", a new book co-written by a former first minister argues.
Unfinished Business by Henry McLeish and Professor James Mitchell of Edinburgh University calls the situation in Scotland "unacceptable" in a liberal democracy.
Spads are temporary civil servants who are politically appointed and do not need to obey the civil service rules on neutrality, allowing them to offer explicit political advice and briefings.
Taxpayers were charged more than £1.7 million for 17 Spads in 2024/25, including salaries, employer National Insurance and pension contributions.
Nine were paid between £71,393 and £78,719, seven between £84,983 and £97,644, and one between £108,781 and £116,435. The latter was likely Colin McAllister, First Minister John Swinney's chief of staff.
But in their new book, which is subtitled The Evolution of Devolution in Scotland, Mr McLeish - who was first minister from 2000 to 2001 - and Prof Mitchell raise concerns over scrutiny and accountability.
"At present, the code of conduct states that Spads are ‘accountable to Scottish ministers, who in turn are accountable to the Scottish Parliament’," they write.
"It is, however, no secret that Spads often act as gatekeepers on matters such as Freedom of Information requests and have considerable influence inside government, with some having greater access to the First Minister and senior Cabinet ministers than junior ministers, not to mention backbench MSPs.
"This is not to suggest that Spads should be banned, only that they should be brought out of the shadows."
They reference a previous proposal for a public appointments committee at Holyrood.
“If that was to be considered for NDPB [non-departmental public body] appointments ... then it would make sense to extend this to Spads,” the pair write. “At present, Spads have power with little responsibility or accountability, an unacceptable situation in a liberal democracy."
Speaking to The Scotsman, Prof Mitchell said the appointment of Spads and their work behind the scenes should be subjected to greater scrutiny by Holyrood committees.
He said: "Given what we now know about Spads in the Scottish Government, they should be asked to appear before parliamentary committees.
"I know the argument has always been that the ministers are there to answer and the Spads shouldn't have to. But officials have to, so there is no reason why Spads, who are effectively officials, should not have to."
The academic argued Spads should also appear before a Holyrood committee prior to their appointment. "Let's hear what their qualifications are for the job," he said.
The cost of Spads has increased hugely over recent years. In 2007, former first minister Alex Salmond had seven full-time special advisers costing £566,000.
However, the £1.7 million cost in the last financial year was a reduction from £1.9 million the year before, when Humza Yousaf employed 19 Spads.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The appointment process for special advisers is reserved and cannot be changed by the Scottish Government as it is defined by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, passed by the UK Parliament.
“Special advisers provide important assistance to ministers on the development of policy and its presentation. Their appointment is designed to reinforce the political impartiality of the permanent civil service by providing ministers with a separate channel for political advice and assistance.”
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