Executive's spin doctor bill leaps 13%

THE Scottish Executive's bill for special advisers has jumped by 13 per cent in a single year - almost four times inflation - defying cash-cutting pledges, it was revealed yesterday.

On average, each of the SNP cabinet's personal spin doctors now costs over 70,000-a-year after a pay rise.

The total bill for the temporary civil servants has risen to over 700,000.

Derek Brownlee, the Conservatives' finance spokesman, and MSP for South of Scotland, said: "The SNP Government cannot justify spending more and more money on advisers, and Alex Salmond needs to get a grip on this fast.

"There is just no excuse for this kind of increase when every family and business is having to make savings."

Finance secretary John Swinney said the total bill for the 11 salaried special advisers employed during 2008-09, including earnings-related National Insurance contributions and employer pension contributions, was 617,766. Now the cost for the 10 salaried special advisers in 2009-2010 has risen to 701,627.

The top earner is believed to be Kevin Pringle, 42, the First Minister's political spokesperson and senior spin doctor.

A former researcher, he managed media relations for the SNP Group at Westminster. He is understood to be one of the three advisers on between 65,017 and 83,963 per annum.