Cameron dumps vanity photographer
By politics.co.uk staff
David Cameron has removed a ‘vanity’ photographer and videographer from the public payroll, according to media reports.
Andrew Parsons and Nicky Woodhouse, who had both done extensive work for Mr Cameron on the Tory payroll, will now again have their £35,000 salaries paid by CCHQ.
The U-turn is a significant victory for Labour leader Ed Miliband, who focused on the decision to change their status in his fourth Commons clash with the prime minister.
Labour MP Michael Dugher: “I welcome the prime minister bowing down to public pressure. The prime minister should have known from the start that it’s wrong to bill the taxpayer for his vanity photographer.
“But today’s flip-flop raises more questions. If it’s wrong to charge taxpayers for Andrew Parsons or Nicky Woodhouse then why are so many other Conservative party workers being hired via this sharp practice as so-called civil servants?”
Downing Street insisted that bringing the two into Whitehall saved money by reducing per-day freelance costs for photographers, but the move was seen as a political liability at a time of budget cuts.
