NI man Peter Cardwell lifts lid on secret, shady world of political special advisors

A Co Armagh man who worked as a special advisor to four UK Cabinet ministers has published a book about the shadowy world of so-called ‘spads’ and his own personal experiences of working in the corridors of power.

‘The Secret Life of Special Advisers’, written by Peter Cardwell from Richhill, lifts the lid on the people Piers Morgan called ‘these miserable little creatures’, revealing who spads are, how Cabinet ministers use and interact with them, how much influence they have and how they deal with the civil service.

The book features numerous anecdotes and sometimes almost unbelievable stories about what actually happens in a spad’s daily life – from dealing with counter-terror emergencies in COBRA to explaining what a dental dam is to the justice secretary, to having your inside leg measured in a minister of the Crown’s office.

Part history, part how-to (and how-not-to) guide and part insider account drawing on the author’s own experiences – particularly in the Cameron, May and early months of the Johnson administrations – ‘The Secret Life of Special Advisers’ will inform and entertain anyone who has ever wondered what these shadowy figures really do all day.

Mr Cardwell, an award-winning broadcaster, public speaker and political commentator, said: “The book is based on my three-and-a-half-year stint supporting the UK government as a special advisor (senior ministerial aide) to four Cabinet ministers in four departments.

“I hope the book is a fun, frank and honest account of what it’s like to work in Westminster.”

Mr Cardwell’s most high-profile role in Northern Ireland terms came as special adviser to then NI secretary of state James Brokenshire between 2016 and 2018.

• ‘The Secret Life of Special Advisers’, by Peter Cardwell, is published on October 13 by Biteback Publishing, priced £20, hardback.