The sacking of the top Treasury official by Liz Truss’s Government has been condemned as “pretty disgraceful”, “retrograde and worrying” by a former head of the civil service. Ex-Whitehall chief and independent crossbencher Lord Kerslake said Sir Tom Scholar’s dismissal marked a “problematic” shift towards ministers installing civil servants who agree with their views. Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s move to oust Sir Tom on the first day of the new administration sparked a backlash in Whitehall. “That is precisely what senior civil servants are there for. Even more than before, senior civil servants will be nervous about this and worry that robust advice is interpreted as political differences with their policies.

Source: The Times September 14, 2022 21:38 UTC