The Ministry of Justice has paid £176,000 to social media influencers since Labour came to power.
Online 'content creators' were handed taxpayers' money to promote Labour's policies in the department, including its soft justice measures.
The Conservatives accused Justice Secretary David Lammy of 'paying for good publicity' while he freed criminals from jail early and racked up a record Crown court backlog.
Justice minister Jake Richards confirmed £176,140 had been lavished on 'influencer activity' to 'work with content creators who can help us achieve our communications objectives'.
He added: 'Given their reach and the trusted relationships they have with their audiences, this can be a cost-effective and impactful communications channel for reaching target audiences in support of operational priorities.'
