Treasury’s most senior civil servant ousted by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Treasury’s most senior civil servant has been ousted by new chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in a major Whitehall shake-up.
Tom Scholar announced today that he was leaving as Treasury permanent secretary, after the chancellor “decided it was time for new leadership” at the department.
Morning Wire understands the sacking happened on Tuesday night, meaning it was one of Kwarteng’s first acts as chancellor.
Scholar said he would be “leaving with immediate effect”.
It comes after Prime Minister Liz Truss and her close ally Kwarteng talked during the Tory leadership campaign of overturning the “Treasury orthodoxy” of the past two decades.
Scholar had been in the post since 2016, but had previous experience working as chief of staff for Gordon Brown in Number 10 and as deputy permanent secretary in the Treasury between 2009 and 2013.
“Tom has been a dedicated and exceptional civil servant and I thank him for his exemplary service to the government and the country for the past 30 years,” Kwarteng said in an official statement.
“He’s helped steer the Treasury and the government through many economic challenges, from the financial crisis to the Covid pandemic, and he leaves the Civil Service with the highest distinction.”