Angela Rayner has defended hiring a “vanity photographer” that cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds by saying that people complain about never seeing her.
The Deputy Prime Minister hired personal snapper Simon Walker on a salary of £68,000, with Downing Street employing photographers to record the Prime Minister for some years. Ms Rayner is the first Deputy to be awarded her own.
Ms Rayner said she was trying to let people “know what you’re doing and where you are” when she was asked about the hire on ITV’s Lorraine. She told the programme: “There’s a kind of balance to be had, because sometimes you get ‘well, you never see her’, or ‘she’s only doing that for a photo opportunity’. So you kind of try and strike the right balance between letting people know what you’re doing and where you are.”
She also told the programme that government process can sometimes feel like getting “bogged down in the weeds”, and that being in government can be frustrating because “government doesn’t work as quickly as that”.
Ms Rayner said that people may be “angry” about revelations that she and other senior figures have taken thousands of pounds’ worth of gifts, such as clothes, holidays and tickets, from wealthy donors, but insisted she had not broken any rules.
She said: “I was from a very working-class background. To stand as Deputy Leader as you say, to get that position, I had to accept donations in order for me to run that campaign, because it’s a very expensive way of doing our politics.”.
Official Downing Street photographers are a relatively recent phenomenon, with David Cameron being the first to appoint one. More recently, they have been funded by the taxpayer.
Ms Rayner’s department has employed the photographer as part of the department’s communication team.
The move has sparked controversy, with some arguing that it is a waste of taxpayer’s money.
Ms Rayner suggested the controversy was caused partly because she had been “over-transparent” about the gifts she has received.
She told the programme: “Sometimes you get ‘well, you never see her’, or ‘she’s only doing that for a photo opportunity’. So you kind of try and strike the right balance between letting people know what you’re doing and where you are. So it’s kind of trying to strike the balance between seriousness of, here’s me, this is what I’m doing.”.
Ms Rayner also revealed that she is frustrated with the pace of government, saying: “You have to go through lots of processes, lots of consultations that you have to do before you introduce new legislation, so sometimes that can feel a bit like you’re bogged down in the weeds.”
Conclusion:
Ms Rayner has defended her decision to hire a personal photographer, citing the need to balance her public presence with the demands of being in government. While the move has sparked controversy, Ms Rayner insists she has not broken any rules and that the photographer is part of her department’s communication team.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Why did Angela Rayner hire a personal photographer?
- Ms Rayner hired a personal photographer to balance her public presence and show the public what she is doing.
- How much did the photographer cost the taxpayer?
- The photographer was paid £68,000, funded by the taxpayer.
- Is this the first time a Deputy Prime Minister has had a personal photographer?
- No, David Cameron was the first to appoint an official Downing Street photographer. More recently, they have been funded by the taxpayer.
- Why has there been controversy over this move?
- Some argue that it is a waste of taxpayer’s money, while others are critical of Ms Rayner’s decision to accept gifts from wealthy donors.
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