MEZIESBLOG

Ed Miliband’s department is hiring a taxpayer-funded “vanity photographer”, leading to accusations of hypocrisy from the Tories.

The energy secretary’s department is recruiting a part-time photographer to cover ministerial visits and shoot official portraits, on a pay and pension package worth around £50,000 a year on a pro-rata basis.

But the Conservatives hit out at “uber-hypocrite” Mr Miliband, who as Labour leader criticised then-prime minister Lord Cameron for having a personal photographer in 2010.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is recruiting for a role to cover the whole of its work, rather than as a personal photographer for Mr Miliband.

But shadow paymaster general Richard Holden condemned Mr Miliband, claiming he wants the photographer to sharpen his public image.

“It wasn’t that long ago that Red Ed was attacking David Cameron for having an official photographer,” he said.

“Now, with photos of him and a bacon sandwich and the ‘Ed Stone’ seared in the public mind, you can see why uber-hypocrite Ed ‘two kitchens’ Miliband has hypocritically hired a taxpayer-funded vanity photographer to try and avoid such snaps in the future.”