OBR 'complained to Treasury officials' of pre-budget leaks

The Office for Budget Responsibility complained to senior Treasury officials in the run-up to the budget about a flurry of leaks that it said spread "misconceptions" about its forecasts, it has emerged.

- Heather Stewart Graeme Wearden Peter Walker

Prof David Miles, of the OBR's budget responsibility committee, told MPs on the Treasury select committee yesterday that the watchdog had raised the issue of leaks with the department before the chancellor's statement last week.

"I think it was clear that there was lots of information appearing in the press which perhaps wouldn't normally be out there and that this wasn't from our point of view particularly helpful," he said.

He added: "We made it clear that they were not helpful and that we weren't in a position of course to put them right."

Miles was appearing before the committee after the OBR chair, Richard Hughes, resigned on Monday, taking responsibility for the inadvertent release of its budget documents about an hour before Rachel Reeves stood up to announce her tax and spending plans.

The prime minister's official spokesperson insisted yesterday that the watchdog's chair had not been pushed. "It's categorically untrue that Richard Hughes was forced to go," he said. "The chancellor has written to Richard and thanked him for leading the OBR and his many years dedicated to public service."