Spending on advisers the same as under Labour Despite the Coalition Agreement promising a limit on the number of "Spads," figures show that there were 85 by the middle of last month, up from 81 in July. At the end of the Labour administration there were 80 on the books. Recent additions to the list include David Cameron's deputy chief of staff, Oliver Dowden, who earns £125,000, and Nick Clegg's director of strategy, Ryan Coetzee, on £110,000. The Cabinet Office said the predicted bill for 2012-13, including salary, severance pay and contributions, was £6.8 million. Ministers were criticised in July when it emerged that the number of advisers had reached 81 and the 2011-12 pay bill had increased by a quarter to £6.2 million. Downing Street defended the figures by pointing out that the overall costs were still lower than the £6.8 million under Labour in 2009-10. The latest list shows that the top earners remain Andrew Cooper and Craig Oliver, respectively the Prime Minister's strategy and communications chiefs, who both earn £140,000 a year. Mr Cameron has 20 special advisers and Mr Clegg five, while they share another five political appointees in Downing Street. Jon Trickett, a Labour MP, said: "This is yet another example of David Cameron failing to deliver the change he promised. He was elected on a pledge to limit the number of political spin doctors but he's broken this promise. With every day that passes it's becoming more and more obvious that David Cameron can't be the one-nation prime minister this country needs.