The future of the head of the Office for Budget Responsibility is uncertain following the recent Budget leak scandal. Richard Hughes, the Chair, faced questions about potential resignation in light of the significant breach, the worst since 1996. Despite this, he expressed willingness to follow the directives of the Treasury and a committee of MPs.
Hughes, who received £217,000 in salary and pension benefits last year, attributed the breach to a “technical error” and described it as a mistake within the OBR that led to the premature publication of the government’s tax and spending assessment on the website.
During a press conference, Hughes stated, “The document was mistakenly uploaded to our website ahead of schedule. We have launched an investigation to determine how and why this occurred. The findings will be shared with our oversight board, the Treasury, and the Treasury Committee, and I will comply with their recommendations.”
He emphasized the seriousness of the situation, acknowledging the error and pledging to identify the root causes to prevent its recurrence, labeling it as an OBR mistake.
The breach is considered the most severe since November 1996 when a significant portion of the Budget was leaked to the Daily Mirror. The publication obtained 36 documents, primarily press releases intended for distribution after the Chancellor’s speech.
Hughes commenced his initial five-year term as OBR Chair in October 2020, with the Commons Treasury Committee extending his tenure in July of this year. He holds degrees from Harvard University and the University of Oxford and began his career at the Treasury in 2000.