London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

Top Treasury official sacked by Liz Truss gets UK public service award

Top Treasury official sacked by Liz Truss gets UK public service award

Tom Scholar awarded by the UK government for his exemplary service just months after he lost his job.
Tom Scholar, a casualty of ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss’ efforts to do away with years of economic “orthodoxy” at the U.K. Treasury, has been given an award in the country’s new year’s honors list.

Scholar, who served as permanent secretary in the Treasury from 2016 until September 2022 when he was swiftly dumped by Truss’ Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, has been given a so-called “Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath,” an award given to members of the U.K. military or civil service for exemplary service.

Scholar’s sacking just two days after Truss became prime minister was seen as symbolic of her radical approach to economic policy and was criticized in some quarters for depriving the Treasury of institutional memory.

Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s subsequent so-called "mini-budget," during which he unveiled large tax cuts without explaining how they would be paid for, triggered turmoil in the markets. Truss resigned just 44 days after entering Downing Street.

Other notable names in the new year’s honors list include Labour MP Chris Bryant, a prominent campaigning backbencher and select committee chairman who has been a frequent critic of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Bryant has been given a knighthood for political and public service. COP26 President Alok Sharma has also been awarded a knighthood, as has former head of the U.K. civil service Mark Sedwill.

Also knighted for political and public service is Conservative MP Julian Lewis, who was kicked out of the party in July 2020 after successfully running for a top parliamentary scrutiny body, beating the government’s preferred candidate in the process. He was readmitted six months later.

John Benger, the most senior official in the House of Commons, becomes a Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath, while Conservative MPs Andrew Stephenson and Helen Grant also receive honors.

Two former aides to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, were also honored. Jason Knauf has been made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO), while Sara Latham, who also previously advised Presidents Clinton and Obama and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, was given a Lieutenant of the Victorian Order (LVO).
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×