MPs warn John Healey not to blame the OBR for painful Budget decisions next month

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026.

A cross-party Treasury Committee has told ministers to stop scapegoating the Office for Budget Responsibility for the tough choices facing chancellor John Healey ahead of next month's Budget. Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier said the OBR is not a "wielder of dark powers" but that thin fiscal margins are the result of chancellor decisions, not forecaster overreach. The committee also rejected calls for the watchdog to be fundamentally reformed, warning such demands are usually driven by a desire for extra spending room.

Dame Meg Hillier called on Healey to publicly and regularly defend the OBR's independence.

The committee warned that attempts to reshape the OBR offer a 'poor substitute' for sound economic policy.

The panel recommended the OBR explore longer-term economic forecasts to help break Britain's cycle of short-term thinking.