OBR chair quits after inquiry into early release of budget document

Office for Budget Responsibility Chair Resigns Amid Public Finance Leak Inquiry, Chancellor Under Pressure

Richard Hughes, chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), has stepped down after a damning internal inquiry into the leak that threw Rachel Reeves's budget into chaos, with Hughes taking "full responsibility" for the watchdog's failure to handle sensitive information. The OBR's processes for protecting sensitive information were found to be inadequate, allowing market-sensitive report details to be accessed 43 times before Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's speech.

The incident has sparked a fifth day of recriminations over the budget, with Keir Starmer failing to express confidence in Hughes. The Labour leader had criticized the OBR for the "serious error" and called it a breach of market-sensitive information and a "massive discourtesy" to parliament.

Opposition leaders, including Kemi Badenoch and Pete Wishart, have seized on the controversy to attack the Chancellor's decisions over the budget. While some Conservatives have defended Kwarteng, many are still under pressure following claims that there was a hole in public finances to justify tax rises, which has been denied by the government.

Labour officials have also questioned why Reeves refused to take responsibility for her handling of the budget, with Wishart accusing her of not restoring confidence after the leak. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Starmer's fate may be inextricably linked with Kwarteng's, raising questions about whether he will follow suit.

As the fallout from the OBR leak continues to reverberate through Westminster, many are left wondering what other skeletons are hidden in the government's economic plans. With significant challenges ahead and a tumultuous budget speech under his belt, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak must navigate the complex web of recriminations and blame-shifting that has engulfed his team.

The Chancellor has been told he will face contact with former Chancellors over previous fiscal events, which raises questions about accountability in government circles. It remains to be seen whether this development will draw a line under the tensions between the OBR and the government, or if more controversy is yet to come.

Umm... I don't know, man ... So like, I was thinking that Richard Hughes should just stay on and sort out the whole thing, you know? But then again, he's taking full responsibility for the mess, which is pretty cool of him, right? Like, it's not his fault or anything, but still, someone has to take the hit. And now Rachel Reeves is all "oh no, I shouldn't have handled that one wrong"... idk, man ... Maybe she should just own up to it and try to fix things? But on the other hand, if everyone's so quick to blame her, then maybe she's got a point about not getting enough credit for trying to keep the budget in check. And what about Kwarteng? Should he be held accountable too, or is it all just on Reeves and Hughes? I don't know, I'm all like...

The OBR's failure to secure sensitive info is a major fail ... I mean, who messes up like that? It's not just about Hughes taking responsibility, it's about how this happened in the first place. The fact that there were 43 unauthorized accesses to the report is just crazy! And now the whole budget speech is being questioned, it's a big mess. I'm starting to think that some folks are more concerned with protecting their own backsides than doing what's right for the country .

The whole thing is super sus with the leak and how it affected the budget speech. I mean, who's actually supposed to handle sensitive info and when did we become so reckless? It's not just about Richard Hughes taking responsibility, it's about a bigger problem. And what's up with Rachel Reeves not owning up to her part in this mess? I'm all for accountability, but at the same time, you can't have everyone pointing fingers and not addressing the real issues.

It's kinda crazy how the Chancellor is getting roasted by both sides of the aisle. Keir Starmer's got his back, but Labour's still trying to take him down, and then there's Kemi Badenoch going after Kwasi Kwarteng like he owes her money . I guess what it comes down to is that these politicians need to stop playing games and actually do some real work.

As for Rishi Sunak, dude's got a lot on his plate. He needs to figure out how to get his team in order and make sure they're not putting the country at risk with their economic plans . I'm all about transparency and honesty, but sometimes you need to take a step back and assess what's really going on. Can't have our leaders running around like headless chickens, making promises they can't keep .

This whole thing just reeks of something fishy. Like, why did Rachel Reeves get off scot-free? Shouldn't she've been held accountable for messing up the budget so badly? And what's with Kwarteng trying to play it cool despite all this drama unfolding around him? The fact that the OBR's processes were so lax is just mind-boggling. How could they let those report details get out like that? It's a wonder nobody got arrested or anything

And don't even get me started on Starmer's lack of confidence in Hughes. That's just cowardly, if you ask me. If he can't stand by his own people when they mess up, then what kind of leader is he supposed to be?

I'm not surprised that the OBR chair resigned ... those leakers gotta think about their actions, right? 43 times, though? That's some serious negligence . I feel for Kwasi Kwarteng, he's already got a lot on his plate. All these recriminations and criticism from both sides... it's like they're trying to pin the blame on each other . Can't say I'm confident in the OBR's security anymore. Maybe this is an opportunity for Rishi Sunak to re-evaluate their processes? Only time'll tell, I guess

this whole thing is so frustrating... 43 times?! how does that even happen? it's like they didn't have any controls in place... i mean, i'm no expert but shouldn't the OBR be able to protect sensitive info better than that? and now keir starmer is still not confident in richard hughes... what does he want from him again? anyway, i hope rishi sunak can sort this out before it gets any worse...

Come on, can't the Chancellor just own up to his mistakes already? 43 times! What's going on with these people? The OBR's processes are so lax it's like they're begging for a security breach. And now Kwarteng is under pressure because of it... poor guy. I'm not buying that he's entirely innocent, but at the same time, I don't think Reeves should be off the hook either - she was in charge too

I mean, I'm not surprised at all that Richard Hughes, the head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, has stepped down. The whole thing with the leak sounds like a huge mess . And now, everyone's turning the heat on Chancellor Kwarteng and Labour leader Keir Starmer. It's getting pretty intense in Westminster right now .

I think what really gets my goat is that there are still so many questions about those public finances, and it feels like we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg . I mean, who knew that tax rises were actually needed? Not me, that's for sure . It's all very confusing.

And what's with the OBR processes being inadequate? How can you mess up something as big as budgeting on sensitive info? It just seems like a huge failure on so many levels. I'm not surprised Starmer isn't confident in Hughes, to be honest .

This whole thing is just so... political . And it's got everyone from Labour to the opposition sniping at each other . Can we just get some real answers for once?

this whole thing is wild... like how can an org like the OBR not have proper security measures in place? it's one thing to make mistakes, but intentionally letting sensitive info slip is a whole other level of incompetence . and now we're stuck with a budget that's got more holes than a Swiss cheese . i'm not buying the "it was an isolated incident" excuse... seems like there are deeper problems here . something's gotta change, or else trust in gov institutions will continue to crumble

I'm low-key shocked that Keir Starmer didn't just call for a full-blown inquiry I mean, come on, 43 times?! That's like playing roulette with national finances . And what really gets me is that they're still trying to downplay the leak as just an "error" . Newsflash: it was a massive breach of trust between the government and parliament! The fact that the OBR's processes were so lax in the first place is a whole other can of worms .

And don't even get me started on Kwarteng's handling of the budget . I mean, I'm all for fiscal responsibility, but if there's a hole in public finances to justify tax rises, that's just basic math . Where's the transparency? Why should we trust him to make sound economic decisions when he can't even get his own numbers right?

This whole thing with Richard Hughes and the budget leak is super worrying I mean, who needs that kind of stress on top of everything else? The fact that sensitive info was easily accessible 43 times is just plain wrong

And honestly, Chancellor Kwarteng's decision to push for tax rises without a solid plan is gonna come back to bite him I'm not saying the opposition is being too harsh , but someone needs to hold those in power accountable

What really gets me is that it feels like no one's taking full responsibility for the mess we're in The OBR should've done better and Rachel Reeves should take ownership of her role I'm all for a good debate , but this whole thing just smells like a bunch of blame-shifting

Can't we just focus on finding some common ground instead of tearing each other apart? It's time to work together to fix our economy

I'm kinda surprised that someone as senior as Richard Hughes just upped and left over a budget leak. Like, what's the worst that happens? Your info gets out? You thought it was a big deal, but honestly, it's not like it changed the course of history or anything . I mean, I get it, the OBR's processes are lax, but come on, you're the chair! Get it together .

But seriously, this just goes to show that even in a supposedly well-oiled machine like the government, there's still room for improvement. And what's with all the recriminations? It feels like everyone's trying to deflect blame, but nobody's really owning up to their part in it . I mean, Rachel Reeves is being all coy about her handling of the budget, and Keir Starmer's not even willing to give Hughes a hard time... something's fishy here .

Anyway, this whole thing just reeks of politics as usual: blame-shifting, finger-pointing, and a healthy dose of denial . I mean, I'm all for accountability in government, but sometimes it feels like nobody wants to actually take responsibility for their actions .

just can't believe this news... like, one minute you're in, the next minute you're out? richard hughes taking full responsibility for that obr fiasco is a huge blow to his career and honestly, i think keir starmer has every right to question reeves' handling of the budget but this whole thing just feels like a mess what's next? another high-profile resignation? can't wait for rishi sunak to address this and show us that he's got his act together

this whole thing just got messier by the day... i mean, richard hughes takes full responsibility for the obr's failure to secure sensitive info, but it still raises questions about how things went so wrong in the first place and now keir starmer's not backing rachel reeves, which is just adding fuel to the fire meanwhile, kwasi kwarteng's getting roasted from all sides, and some cons are actually defending him? what's going on here? it feels like we're just seeing more of the same old politics

omg, wut is goin on wit dis goverment?! chancellor kwasi kwarteng is gettin roasted left & right 4 his budget decisions & now richard hughes (obr chair) is outta a job . i feel 4 him lol, u cant just leave sensitive info lyin around like dat. keir starmer is lookin pretty weak too, didnt even wanna call out kwarteng on it . the fact that labour ppl are askin why rachel reeves aint takin responsibility for her own budget is sus...i guess its all part of bein politic . one thing 4 sure tho, rishi sunak's got his hands full tryna keep everything under control

the whole thing stinks , you've got the Chancellor under pressure because of his own making. I mean, it's not just him, it's the whole team. how can they expect people to trust them when they can't even keep sensitive information safe? and now there's talk of a hole in public finances... it's like they're digging their own grave ️. I'm all for accountability, but this is just ridiculous. if you're going to leak stuff, at least have the decency to take responsibility for it. instead, everyone's trying to shift the blame and make excuses. Rishi Sunak needs to get his act together, pronto!