Kwarteng ‘tells Treasury to focus entirely on growth’ as Tory peer defends sacking of senior civil servant – UK politics live

On his first day in office Kwasi Kwarteng, the new chancellor, sacked the Treasury’s permanent secretary, Tom Scholar. This decision was widely criticised as a further step towards the politicisation of the civil service. In the past new governments have eased out senior officials they find uncongenial, but defenestrating a…