SpAdCast: What is it really like to be a special adviser? Episode 1: Into government

A transcript of this episode is available in the Supporting Documents section below. 

Special advisers (SpAds) are some of the most important yet misunderstood figures in government. They play vital roles – as the voice of their minister in the department, shaping policy agendas and managing the media.

As a new government gets up and running and scores of new SpAds get to grips with their roles, this special four-part series lifts the lid on what SpAds do, how they do it, and why they’re indispensable to modern government.

In this first episode, we look at how SpAds are recruited, and how they found their first days in government. What surprised them, and how did they fit into the wider SpAd team in their department?

We also ask our interviewees what their day-to-day lives were like in government, how they added value for their ministers, and finally how they dealt with crises.