Budd tries to salvage OBR’s reputation
By politics.co.uk staff
Sir Alan Budd, the outgoing chief of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), has tried to salvage the newly-formed body’s reputation, insisting it is fully independent from government.
Appearing in front of the Treasury committee today, he insisted that there had been no ministerial interference to make it change its numbers.
The office was created by chancellor George Osborne to ensure there would be no room for ministerial interference during the calculations of economic forecasts, but it faced accusations of precisely that nature after it altered job loss forecasts.
“There was no conspiracy or pressure on us to change the numbers and no pressure on us to bring forward publication,” Sir Alan told the committee.
Sir Alan’s departure after such a short period in charge has led some commentators to suggest there was a conflict with government but today he insisted his role had always been an interim one.
It would be sad if “any of the mud thrown at me stuck to the OBR, because its creation is a brilliant and innovative move”, he told the committee.
In a letter to the chancellor this morning he suggested moving the office out of the Treasury altogether, however.
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