Sir Alan Budd regrets OBR independence dilemma
Sir Alan Budd, the outgoing chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has today entered the public domain again suggesting he has regrets regarding the release of an early report from the OBR which was consequently used by David Cameron in a PMQ session. This led to the independence of the OBR being called into question which many believe eventually led to the resignation of Sir Alan Budd.
The OBR was put forward by George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as a body which would overlook the UK government from an independent point of view. However, just weeks into the creation of the OBR the independence of the body was called into question and ultimately the reputation of the OBR has been dragged through the mud. George Osborne and David Cameron will do very well to rebuild the reputation of the OBR after such a major setback at such an early stage. Whether this is possible remains to be seen.
Both George Osborne and David Cameron have enjoyed something of a honeymoon period since entering office under the coalition government although this period of relative calm has now come to an end and the real business begins!
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