The chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility, Richard Hughes, has resigned in the wake of the Budget leak.
In a letter sent to Rachel Reeves and the chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Mr Hughes said he wants to ensure the OBR gets the chance to “quickly move on from this regrettable incident”.
He called it a “technical but serious error” but says the OBR will “regain and restore the confidence and esteem that it has earned through 15 years of rigorous, independent, economic analysis”.
He said he had “decided it is in the best interest of the OBR for me to resign as its Chair and take full responsibility to the shortcomings identified in the report.”
Mr Hughes was due to face the Treasury Select Committee on Tuesday morning.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury James Murray’s speech was interrupted by news of Mr Hughes’ resignation.
“May I put on record on behalf of the government our thanks to Richard Hughes for his dedication to public service,” he said.
Earlier, he told MPs that the OBR’s mistake had been a “very serious breach of highly sensitive information” and a “fundamental breach” of its responsibilities
In a post on X Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asks why Chancellor Rachel Reeves hasn’t resigned, saying that she’s “trying to use the Chair of the OBR as her human shield.
“Why is it ALWAYS someone else’s fault with Starmer and Reeves?” she asked.
The latest developments followed a speech by Sir Keir Starmer in which he outlined plans for a “productivity revolution”
He also denied that Ms Reeves, misled the public in the lead-up to the Budget, after she was accused of over-stating problems in the country’s finances
Ms Reeves also responded to accusations she misled cabinet ministers, saying they were “briefed on the morning of the Budget on the Budget numbers”. She said she is confident she will still be chancellor by the next election.
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