Westminster was plunged into chaos moments before Chancellor Rachel Reeves was due to deliver her first Budget speech, after the Office for Budget Responsibility accidentally published its full analysis half an hour early.
A Flurry of Panic in the Commons
Inside the House of Commons chamber, a scene of frantic activity unfolded as the scale of the leak became apparent. Aides scrambled around the Chancellor, passing notes and thrusting phone screens in front of her face. In the gallery above, one senior advisor was seen operating two iPhones simultaneously, texting furiously in a scene reminiscent of political drama The Thick of It.
The premature publication by the Office for Budget Responsibility effectively revealed all the Budget's key numbers ahead of schedule, creating a major security breach that could have moved financial markets. The timing, just before Prime Minister's Questions, handed an unexpected advantage to Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch.
Political Theatre and Tory Reaction
Seizing the opportunity, Badenoch launched into a rant about what she called "the most chaotic Budget lead up ever." However, her attack backfired when MPs shouted "Kwasi Kwarteng" in response, referencing the disastrous mini-budget under the previous Conservative government.
Behind Badenoch, Tory MPs displayed what observers described as "big teenager energy," braying and guffawing in a display that contrasted sharply with the gravity of the situation. Some even placed feet on the benches in front, adding to the unseemly atmosphere.
Reeves' Calm Amidst the Storm
Facing this hostile environment and an unfolding crisis, Rachel Reeves might have been expected to appear flustered. Yet after initial moments where her voice was drowned out by noise, the Chancellor delivered her speech with remarkable calm and control.
She confirmed that the OBR had admitted responsibility and apologised for the error. "It wasn't her fault, or the Government's," she stated, adding that while unfortunate, the leak didn't change the Budget's substance. Her approach was clear: acknowledge the problem and move forward.
The Chancellor and her team had made a crucial decision during those frantic moments before her speech: the numbers alone are not the Budget. The Budget is the story you tell about the numbers.
This philosophy came to life when she announced the scrapping of the two-child benefit limit. As she spoke about previous governments "punishing children for having been born into poverty," the chamber fell silent. In that moment, despite the shouting, leaking and scrambling, a Labour Chancellor was finally able to tell a story about change.
Through repeated emphasis on "Labour choices" and contrasting her decisions with those of the previous administration, Reeves transformed a potential disaster into a demonstration of steady leadership under pressure.
