Tom Scholar | |
|---|---|
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| Permanent Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 13 July 2016 – 8 September 2022 | |
| Chancellor | |
| Preceded by | Nick Macpherson |
| Succeeded by | James Bowler |
| Prime Minister's Adviser for Europe and Global Issues | |
| In office 2013–2016 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Jon Cunliffe |
| Succeeded by | Olly Robbins |
| Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 2009–2013 | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | John Kingman |
| Succeeded by | Sharon White |
| Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister | |
| In office 27 June 2007 – 23 January 2008 | |
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Olly Robbins |
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Heywood |
| Downing Street Chief of Staff | |
| In office 27 June 2007 – 23 January 2008 | |
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Jonathan Powell |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Carter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Whinfield Scholar (1968-12-17)17 December 1968 (age 57) |
| Parent |
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| Education | Dulwich College |
| Alma mater | |
Sir Thomas Whinfield ScholarGCB (born 17 December 1968) is a former Britishcivil servant, who served asPermanent Secretary to the Treasury from 2016 to 2022.[1] Following his exit from theUK Civil Service in September 2022, Scholar began to take up non-executive directorships in the private sector, including as chair ofSantander UK from August 2025.[2] As a civil servant, Scholar held multiple roles across various governments, including as an adviser on European and global issues in theCabinet Office from 2013 to 2016, a director ofNorthern Rock post its nationalisation in 2008 and aschief of staff forGordon Brown from mid 2007 to January 2008.[3][4]
Scholar was educated atDulwich College (1979–1986),[3]Trinity Hall, Cambridge (where he read History[5]), and theLondon School of Economics.[3]
He is the son ofSir Michael Scholar, who was Permanent Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry between 1996 and 2001.[6] He has two younger brothers, Richard and John (who is a lecturer in English literature at the University of Reading and worked at the Treasury).[7]
Scholar joinedHM Treasury in 1992, rising toPrincipal Private Secretary to theChancellor of the Exchequer in 1997, servingGordon Brown until 2001. Following that posting, Scholar served as the British representative on the boards of theInternational Monetary Fund and theWorld Bank, attached to theBritish Embassy in Washington as Minister for Economic Affairs for six years.[3]
In 2007, following Brown's taking over the leadership of theLabour Party and thus the office ofPrime Minister, Scholar returned to the UK, taking over the two roles ofDowning Street Chief of Staff fromJonathan Powell andPrincipal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister fromOliver Robbins.[3] After six months, Scholar leftNumber 10 to return to the Treasury as the Managing Director of its International and Finance Directorate in January 2008. The next year, Scholar was promoted to be theSecond Permanent Secretary at the Treasury, taking over fromJohn Kingman.[8] In this role, Scholar was a director of the nationalised bank,Northern Rock.[9]
Four years later, in 2013, Scholar returned to Downing Street, now underDavid Cameron, to run the European and Global Issues Secretariat in the Cabinet Office and was the Prime Minister's most senior adviser on international affairs.[10] As of September 2015, Scholar was paid a salary of between £150,000 and £154,999, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.[11]
In March 2016, the government announced that Scholar would succeedSir Nick Macpherson asPermanent Secretary to the Treasury in April 2016.[12] Scholar was replaced at the Cabinet Office byOliver Robbins, who took over the role as a "post-Brexit" unit in June 2016,[13] which the next month became theDepartment for Exiting the European Union whenTheresa May created herfirst Cabinet.[14]
He was appointedKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) by QueenElizabeth II in the2017 Birthday Honours[15] and promoted toKnight Grand Cross of the same Order (GCB) by KingCharles III in the2023 New Year Honours.[16]
Scholar was removed from his position as permanent secretary to the Treasury byLiz Truss andKwasi Kwarteng on 8 September 2022, a move criticised by former senior civil servants includingGus O'Donnell andRobin Butler.[17][18][19] Following the sacking,Dave Penman, General Secretary of theFDA, accused Truss of conducting an "ideological purge" of top officials.[19]
In December 2023 he was appointed as non-executive chair of Nomura Europe Holdings plc, Nomura International plc and Nomura Bank International plc, subsidiaries ofNomura Holdings.[20]
In May 2025, Scholar was appointed as non-executive director of Santander UK and later assumed the role of chair in August 2025, replacing William Vereker.[21]
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Downing Street Chief of Staff 2007–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister 2007–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Second Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury 2009–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister's Adviser, European and Global Issues 2013–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Permanent Secretary to the Treasury 2016–2022 | Succeeded by |