New Treasury Permanent Secretary Confirmed As Department Veteran James Bowler
James Bowler has been appointed the new Permanent Secretary to the Treasury (Alamy)
2 min read
James Bowler has been appointed the new Permanent Secretary to the Treasury after Tom Scholar was sacked by Kwasi Kwarteng last month as part of the new administration’s desire to disrupt the existing “orthodoxy” in government fiscal policy.
It had been briefed that the job would go to Antonia Romeo, currently the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, and an outsider with no previous Treasury experience.
According to Bloomberg and the Financial Times, Kwarteng's choice of Romeo was overruled by Prime Minister Liz Truss in favour of someone with more Treasury experience in an attempt to calm financial markets after the turbulence caused by Kwarteng’s "mini-Budget" last month.
Romeo's appointment was set to be confirmed last week but was seemingly delayed. It has now been confirmed that Bowler's, a former Treasury civil servant who heads up the Department of International Trade (DIT), will take the role.
The announcement on Bowler’s appointment heavily focuses on his prior experience in the Treasury, with the Cabinet Office saying he “brings to the role a wealth of knowledge and experience of HM Treasury from over 20 years in the department, combined with experience working with business and representing Britain internationally from his time at DIT”.
In a statement Kwarteng said he was “delighted” to welcome him back to the Treasury.
“James has a proven track record of delivery and strong leadership, both of which will be vital as we drive towards our mission of igniting growth and raising living standards for everyone across the UK,” he said.
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case called Bowler “one of our most expert and experienced economic policy makers”.
Bowler also highlighted his history with the Treasury in a statement confirming his position. "I plan to bring my wider experience back to the Department to help navigate the opportunities and challenges of the global economy that lie ahead,” he said.
Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis tweeted that he was "delighted" Romeo would be remaining at his newly assigned department.
"It has been great to work with her and the whole team at the department so far and I look forward to continuing to work together to deliver better outcomes for victims and ensure swift, effective access to justice for all," he wrote.
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