The Ministry of Justice has spent £176,000 on social media influencers since the Labour party came to power, the department has confirmed. These online content creators were compensated with taxpayer funds to promote government policies, including those related to criminal justice.
Conservative lawmakers have criticized Justice Secretary David Lammy, alleging that his ministry is "paying for good publicity" while simultaneously implementing early prison release programs and grappling with a growing backlog in Crown court cases. Justice minister Jake Richards stated that £176,140 was allocated for "influencer activity" to engage content creators who could assist in achieving the ministry's communication objectives. Richards noted that influencers, due to their reach and audience trust, can serve as a cost-effective and impactful channel for communication, particularly in support of operational priorities.
Among the topics influencers were paid to promote were "community sentencing" initiatives. Labour has introduced legislation expected to result in tens of thousands of offenders avoiding prison sentences, and many individuals receiving custodial sentences will serve shorter periods. An early release scheme initiated by Labour in autumn 2024 has already led to the early release of over 60,000 individuals.
Other initiatives promoted by these freelancers included recruitment campaigns for the prison, probation, and magistracy services, as well as public information campaigns designed to inform citizens about their rights. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy commented that, given Lammy's record as Justice Secretary, it is unsurprising he needs to "pay to receive good publicity." Timothy further asserted that Labour has "utterly wrecked our justice system" through measures such as restricting jury trials, early release of convicted individuals, and a reduction in the number of criminals imprisoned. He suggested that the funds would be better allocated to courts and prisons rather than social media influencers.
The Ministry of Justice declined to disclose the specific influencers who received payment to promote its objectives. However, several content creators have recently published interviews with Justice Secretary David Lammy concerning policies under his purview. The department clarified that no payment was exchanged for these interviews with Lammy or any other minister.
One such content creator, Freddie Fraser, described as an "aspiring presenter" and a former contestant on the BBC's "The Traitors," interviewed Lammy about making the judiciary "more diverse and representative." In a video posted in early June, Fraser engaged Lammy in a sentence-completion exercise related to the justice system.
Georgie Mitchell, who identifies as "The People's Wedding Planner," also featured a discussion with Lammy regarding wedding law reforms. Mitchell shared an image of a message from the Ministry of Justice's digital team, received via Instagram's business chat function.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice stated that the department has not paid influencers for content featuring ministers. The spokesperson emphasized the ministry's goal to reach audiences increasingly reliant on social media for information. "Wherever possible, we do this at little or no cost – and every penny spent focuses on ensuring the justice system works for people, whether that's to support our recruitment of vital frontline staff in prisons or making sure victims understand their rights," the spokesperson added. The ministry affirmed that none of the funds were used to pay influencers for creating content with ministers.