Top UK Treasury civil servant earns five-year reappointment
The UK Treasury’s top civil servant has been reappointed for another five-year term, after impressing Downing Street with his response to the Covid crisis.
Department permanent secretary Sir Tom Scholar has been one of the architects of the Treasury’s response to the Covid crisis, which has seen Rishi Sunak spend more than £300bn to keep the economy afloat.
The Telegraph reports that Sunak, Boris Johnson and cabinet secretary Simon Case collectively decided he should be given a vote of confidence to continue in his role for another five years.
Whitehall permanent secretaries, who are the highest ranking civil servants in each department, have been appointed to five-year terms since 2014.
Before the Open newsletter: Start your day with the City View podcast and key market data
A Treasury source told The Telegraph: “Tom and the chancellor have a great working relationship, but more importantly this is about delivering the right results and having the right team in place for this next phase of the crisis – and as we come out of it in due course.”
Scholar joined the UK Treasury in 1992 and played a part in writing up then chancellor Gordon Brown’s five tests for the UK joining the Euro.
He also served as Brown’s chief of staff when he became Prime Minister, before going back to the Treasury during the 2008 financial crisis.
Scholar’s reappointment is thought to signal the end of Downing Street’s battle against the civil service, which was led by former Johnson aide Dominic Cummings.
Five permanent secretaries were forced out in a six-month period last year, including former home office permanent secretary Philip Rutnam.
Rutnam accused home secretary Priti Patel of orchestrating a sustained campaign of leaking and bullying to oust him – a claim she denies.
Rutnam filed an unfair dismissal claim when he left his post.