Tom Scholar, the most senior official at the UK Treasury, has been reappointed for another five-year term in a sign that the war on Whitehall being waged by Boris Johnson’s government has come to an end.
Sir Tom, who was appointed to the position in 2016, appeared on a hit list of senior civil servants Downing Street wished to see removed from their roles. Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s former senior adviser, pledged that a “hard rain” would fall on the British state.
Six permanent secretaries of government departments left their positions last year, including the former head of the civil service Mark Sedwill who left his position after falling out with Mr Johnson’s inner circle.
But Mr Cummings’ abrupt departure from Number 10 in November has led to a decisive shift in the prime minister’s attitude towards senior civil servants, despite his controversial decision to allow home secretary Priti Patel to stay in her position after a bullying inquiry