UK’s Cameron drops photographer from state payroll

British Prime Minister David Cameron took his personal photographer off the government payroll on Tuesday, barely two weeks after the appointment sparked a political and media backlash.

Opposition politicians had questioned the wisdom of the state paying for a "vanity photographer" for the prime minister at a time when hundreds of thousands of public sector jobs are set to be lost in austerity cuts.

Cameron decided while away on a trip to China and Korea last week to reverse the decision to hire former Conservative party photographer Andrew Parsons on a short-term civil service contract, a source at his Downing Street office said.

"The prime minister felt that this sent out the wrong signal at a difficult time," Cameron's spokesman said.

Cameron, a former public relations executive, is regarded as a media savvy operator, but the appointment allowed newspapers to accuse him of insensitivity to public concerns.

The Sunday Times said Parsons' appointment was Cameron's "first big 'he doesn't get it' moment".

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition has unleashed savage cuts across government spending to reduce a record deficit.

Public reaction to the cuts was initially muted but last week students demonstrating against a tripling of university tuition fees smashed their way into the Conservative party headquarters a short distance from parliament.

Government officials had said Parsons and website producer Nicola Woodhouse would be working across government and that their appointment would save money.

The two will now return to the pay of the Conservative party.

Ed Miliband, leader of the opposition Labour party, said Cameron had bowed to public pressure.

"The prime minister should have known from the start that it's wrong to bill the taxpayer for his vanity photographer," he said.