The Prime Minister’s decision to sack Sir Tom Scholar as Permanent Secretary to the Treasury as part of the plan to implement “pro-growth” policy has sparked a huge backlash in Whitehall. Andrew Turnbull, the former head of the civil service, said it was wrong for Ms Truss to attack the Treasury’s “orthodoxy” on economic growth – pointing out that the Conservatives had been in power for 12 years of low growth. “What was the quality of political leadership that we had?” Lord Turnbull told The Times. “He was rubbish – very, very poor in his ability to make long-term, strategic decisions.” Citing a lack of clear policy on building and skills, he said: “The idea that Treasury policy is uniquely behind their problems when there are so many other things, not least the government’s inability to make unpopular decisions, is completely unpopular.” persuasive”. Lord Turnbull added: “There has been a political orthodoxy but I don’t think there is a Treasury orthodoxy.” It comes as Sir Leigh Lewis, former permanent secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), criticized current cabinet secretary Simon Case when it came to sacking top Whitehall mandarins. “He must also defend the fundamental importance of appointing senior civil servants on the basis of merit, particularly in appointing Scholar’s successor,” he wrote in a letter to the Times. Sir Leigh added: “I hope he has the courage and conviction to do it. If not, he must make way for someone who has.” Former cabinet secretaries Lord O’Donnell and Lord Butler have already expressed their dismay at Sir Tom’s removal, meaning there have been protests from all but one of those who led the civil service between 1988 and 2012. Lord Wilson – who headed the civil service under Tony Blair – said on Thursday that the sacking was “a sure route to poor decision-making and weak government. It is also another small step on the road to the politicization of public administration.” Former civil service chief Lord Kerslake said Sir Tom’s sacking was “retrospective and worrying” – claiming it signaled a “troubling” shift towards ministers installing civil servants who agree with their views. And Lord Macpherson, who previously held the top role at the Treasury, also condemned the move – saying Sir Tom’s experience would be “invaluable” during the cost of living crisis. “Firing him makes no sense.” In a pointed reference to the energy bills crisis in his resignation statement, Sir Tom said he wished his colleagues in the department “all the best for the times ahead”, adding that he would “be cheering from the touchlines”. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the new business secretary, has been accused by the PCS union of being a “bully” for his repeated attacks on civil service bosses over the “rotten culture” of working from home in his previous role as efficiency minister. It comes as Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng prepares to announce some of the government’s immediate economic moves in a mini-Budget on September 23. Mr Kwarteng is expected to spell out details of the plan to cap annual household energy bills at £2,500, as well as confirm Ms Truss’ plan to reverse the 1.25 per cent rise in National Insurance, as well as scrap the planned increase in corporate tax. However, according to The Telegraph, the Treasury would not specify the total cost of Ms Truss’ energy plan, giving only short-term costs of possibly “a few months”. The new chancellor has also sparked anger among unions and some MPs after it was revealed he is considering scrapping the cap on bankers’ bonuses introduced after the 2008 financial crash.
