Labour accused of paying for praise as figures reveal Government has spent £2.3m of taxpayers' money on 'influencer marketing' since election

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 10:49 EDT, 16 September 2026 | Updated: 11:02 EDT, 16 September 2026 Labour is under fire for spending more than £2million of taxpayers’ money on getting influencers to promote Government policies.Official figures show that 11 Whitehall departments and major public bodies have between them paid out £2.3m to online ‘content creators’ and agencies since the election.High-profile campaigns have included using model Daisy Lowe to advertise heat pumps and reality TV star Gemma Collins to discuss vocational education.Ministers insist they have to use social media platforms and personalities in order to reach the public these days.But Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said: ‘The Government is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on influencers in a feeble attempt to cover for its failures.‘It is becoming increasingly clear that if Labour want praise, they must pay for it.’The Department for Education has spent the most on influencer marketing over the past two years, with £119,300 spent in 2024/25, £589,671 the following year and £10,000 so far in the current financial year.It used 57 different influencers in ‘paid partnerships, public relations activity and content creation’ last year, promoting teacher training and nursery careers as well as skills training.However it did not pay Ms Collins, who visited the departmental headquarters in May for a chat with then Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson that was promoted on social media. Reality TV star Gemma Collins meeting Labour minister Bridget Phillipson earlier this year Reform UK’s Suella Braverman said: ‘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.’HM Revenue & Customs spent £591,200 on ‘social media influencer activity’ between July 2024 and August this year, and claimed it carried out ‘due diligence on potential influencers’ before using 44 of them in campaigns.As of February this year the Cabinet Office had spent £365,331, using 22 influencers to ‘raise awareness about government schemes and initiatives and promote the UK internationally’.The figures - obtained by the Tories by tabling Parliamentary written questions and reported by Sky News on Wednesday – also show the Department for Transport spent £302,873.83 while the Department for Work and Pensions spent £212,425 and the Ministry of Justice £206,140.Transport Minister Justin Madders said in response to one of the questions: ‘Today’s media landscape is unrecognisable compared to even a decade ago, and the way the public receives information and communicates has changed drastically in this time.‘The Government has a duty to engage with the public where they are, using channels and voices they trust to ensure all citizens can access government services, information and support - meeting audiences where they are.‘Content Creators are paid fairly for their services, time and expertise in content creation. Their work reaches people directly on the channels they use daily. Without targeted campaigns, millions of citizens would miss out on services, rights, and support to which they are entitled.’