Spads

There have been wider concerns about the inexperience of some so-called "spads" - special advisers to ministers who specialise in media or policy development. ❋ Polly Curtis (2011)

Sue Nye, famed gatekeeper for Gordon Brown, was nice, defending spads as an unfairly derided breed. ❋ Unknown (2012)

• When Labour's special advisers spads met for a reunion in the shadow of Big Ben, they knew it would be eventful. ❋ Unknown (2012)

No one is running the country, our masters are being rehearsed and roleplayed by spads and spin doctors 24/7. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Another crowd-pleasing mistake the Tories made in opposition was to promise to cut Labour's record number of political appointees, the special advisers (spads) there to troubleshoot, covering their ministers 'backs in places where neutral civil servants cannot stray. ❋ Unknown (2010)

All the young labour politicos, spads and wannabe-spads I know are obsessed with the West Wing. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Blair , hand on heart I did what I thought was right ,with all his advisors and spads and civil servants, why is he saying I thought was right ,he's guessing and we pay him for guessing. ❋ Unknown (2007)

So in effect, you have 3 spads making up 2 FTE positions. ❋ Unknown (2006)

You would also find that not every minister has a special adviser 7 spads – 9 ministers and most of them “double up”. ❋ Unknown (2006)

"I ain't fightin 'no spads," sneered Sandy. he didn't want to fight this one. ❋ Francis Hopkinson Smith (1876)

Downing Street restricted the number of media spads to one per cabinet minister, promising to reduce the numbers compared with the Labour government. ❋ Polly Curtis (2011)

Strange seeing the spads eye each other nervously, a lot of them have not laid eyes on each other before. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Sitting here, free beer in hand, curried chicken on sticks in the Channel Four press room (or "spin room" as the many spads here are calling it). ❋ Unknown (2010)

Now he should get rid of all rest of his horrible vicious spads and donate their salaries to a worthy cause. ❋ Unknown (2009)

In characteristic fashion, former Downing Street adviser [Dominic Cummings] – who waged a long guerrilla campaign against Mr Johnson and is reputed to be hoping for a return to Government if Mr [Sunak] wins the contest – has published some of the wilder claims on Twitter, writing that it would be 'very Westminster' for 'Boris to get the bullet cos of lies over sex/groping... only to be replaced by someone actually sh***ing their [spad]!' ❋ Baldyslap (2022)

There have been three [SPADs] on [the District] Line in [the past] year. ❋ Enjayhch (2009)

[Bro] [stop] being such a [spad] ❋ (2021)

See [that kid] [over there]? Yeah [hes] a spad!!! ❋ Spadmasterx10455 (2011)

"Well, I 'ad [vis] bird round ve back of KFC up against ve bins, and she was [well up] fer it, so in I goes, gave her wat for, got 'ome, took a slash & realised I'd SPAD-ded, ve [dirty bitch]!" ❋ Stoatman (2004)

I wish that [spad] in the [front row] would [shut-up] so I could enjoy the game! ❋ Patriot1872 (2007)

SPAD ❋ Seanathon Bon (2009)

"He [failed] [the test] again. [What a] spad." ❋ Lunarose (2003)

my friend [jumping in] the nearest biggest puddle in the rain cos she is a spad, me having a mad 10mins like [puttin] a [grass skirt] on my head and chasing ppl around the house. Thou its spadtastic cos its so much fun. ❋ Devilishminx (2007)

Paramedic attends to a road collision Paramedic: "oh my god why is there semen all over this windscreen!" Benjamin [Stranglewank]: "sorry but I tried to help but seen she had passed away and I SPad" At a funeral Rev [Fingerboy]: "we release this soul to [heav].....fucking hell who has shot man muck all over this coffin!!" Benjamin Stranglewank: " I apologise profusely but I really feel passionate about their passing and simply had to SPaD" ❋ Dr Stranglewank (2020)