The Treasury permanent secretary seems unconcerned by his department’s odd constitution,or the unreliability of its numbers on which the budget is basedIn a more modest department than HM Treasury, this week might be an occasion for self-appraisal, or particularly when the top official is departing – this is Sir Nick Macpherson’s last budget. The permanent secretary has defended his record as the engineer and steward of austerity but felt no need to assess the Treasury’s peculiar constitution – combining the roles of bank manager,custodian of UK growth, shill for the City and axe man in chief (apart from when it comes to the chancellor’s favourite boondoggle projects such as HS2). Perhaps his successor Tom Scholar will prove more departmentally self-aware. But don’t count on it: he is an insider. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com