OBR chief 'will resign' over Budget leak if Reeves withdraws support

27th Nov 2025 11:19

(Sharecast News) - The head of Britain's Office for Budget Responsibility said he would resign over an embarrassing leak of the government's Budget if he no longer commanded the support of Finance Minister Rachel Reeves.

Richard Hughes said an investigation was now underway after the unprecedented leak of the document around 40 minutes before Reeves stood up to deliver her speech in the House of Commons.:

"A link to our ... document was inadvertently made accessible to the public prior to the conclusion of the chancellor's (finance minister) statement when it is usually published," he said at the Resolution Foundation's post-budget event.

"It wasn't published on our website, but there was a link that somebody managed to find, and that made it accessible, and then it was then disseminated. As soon as it was discovered, we took action to take it down."

Hughes added that the investigation was already under way and would report by early next week.

"Personally, I serve day-to-day subject to the confidence of the chancellor and the Treasury committee. If they both conclude, in light of that investigation, they no longer have confidence in me then, of course, I will resign, which is what you do when you're the chair of something called the Office for Budget Responsibility."

Reeves described the leak as "deeply disappointing" and "a serious error on their part" - but her office said she still "has confidence" in Hughes. The minister herself was castigated by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Nus Gani for briefing several policy measures to the media days and weeks ahead of Wednesday's formal speech.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com