GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS SPENT £2.4M ON SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

UK government departments have spent at least £2.4 million on social media influencers since July 2024, according to responses to parliamentary questions. The Department for Education recorded the highest outlay, at more than £700,000, followed by HM Revenue and Customs at nearly £600,000, excluding agency fees. Departments used influencers to promote campaigns on career development, access to benefits, and recruitment for teaching and prison officer roles. The figures were disclosed in response to questions from the Conservative Party and largely cover the period when Sir Keir Starmer was prime minister.

In 2025/26, the Department for Education worked with 57 influencers on campaigns covering career progression for young people, childcare advice and teacher recruitment. It said this included Strictly Come Dancing's Oti Mabuse and TV personality Billie Shepherd, who promoted the government's Best Start in Life childcare campaign, with spending covering fees and production costs. HM Revenue and Customs worked with 44 different influencers, some taking part in multiple campaigns. Departments said the approach helped reach audiences harder to engage through traditional channels, and that content creators were paid fairly for their time and expertise.

Conservative shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said the government was spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money on influencers to cover for its failures, adding that Labour must pay for praise if it wants it. Departments said all paid marketing campaigns were assessed for value for money. The use of influencers by government is not new: under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Home Office paid TikTok influencers to discourage people from crossing the English Channel in small boats. Influencers used in government campaigns can include celebrities, podcasters, bloggers and social media content creators.