Senior Treasury official sacked by Liz Truss receives UK civil service award – Reuters

LONDON — Tom Scholar, a victim of ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss’ efforts to end years of economic ‘orthodoxy’ at Britain’s Treasury, has been honored in the country’s New Year Honors list.

Scholar, who served as Permanent Secretary to the Treasury from 2016 until September 2022 when he was promptly dumped by Truss Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, was awarded a so-called ‘Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath’ , an award given to members of the United Kingdom military or civil service for exemplary service.

Scholar’s dismissal just two days after Truss became Prime Minister was seen as a symbol of his radical approach to economic policy and was criticized in some quarters for stripping the Treasury of institutional memory.

Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s subsequent so-called ‘mini-budget’, in which he unveiled deep tax cuts without explaining how they would be paid for, sparked market turmoil. Truss resigned just 44 days after entering Downing Street.

Other notable names on the New Year Honors list include Labor MP Chris Bryant, a prominent backbench MP and chair of the select committee who was frequent criticism of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Bryant was knighted for political and public service. COP26 President Alok Sharma was also knighted, as was former UK civil servant Mark Sedwill.

Tory MP Julian Lewis, who was kicked out of the party in July 2020 after successfully standing for a top parliamentary scrutiny body, also beat the government’s preferred candidate in the process. He was readmitted six months later.

John Benger, the highest civil servant in the House of Commons, becomes Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, while Tory MPs Andrew Stephenson and Helen Grant also receive honours.