The chairman of the UK's fiscal watchdog has stepped down following a severe breach of protocol that saw sensitive Budget details released to the public prematurely.
Resignation Follows Damning Investigation
Richard Hughes has resigned as chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). His departure comes directly after the publication of a highly critical report into the accidental early release of official documents related to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' autumn Budget. The watchdog's investigation concluded that this incident represented the OBR's most significant operational failure in its 15-year history.
How the Budget Leak Unfolded
The blunder occurred on the day of the Budget, Wednesday, 01 December 2025. Official economic and fiscal forecasts, which are produced independently by the OBR to accompany the Chancellor's statement, were uploaded to the watchdog's public website almost an hour before they were due to be released. This gave the public premature access to key details of the government's financial plans.
An internal probe traced the error, noting that the IP address for the March forecast was accessed earlier than scheduled. However, the report found that no further activity or dissemination of information resulted from this early access. Despite this, the sheer breach of trust and protocol was deemed unacceptable for an institution whose credibility relies on strict control of sensitive data.
Systemic Overhaul and Apology
In response to the findings, the OBR has stated it must completely overhaul its publication methods for all future sensitive forecasts. Mr Hughes issued a full apology for the leak, describing it as a profound mistake. He stated that his resignation was necessary to allow the independent body to move on from the incident and rebuild its reputation for impartiality and reliability.
The fallout underscores the immense sensitivity surrounding Budget disclosures, where even a minor timing error can undermine market confidence and the political process. The OBR now faces the urgent task of implementing foolproof systems to prevent any repeat of what it has called its 'worst failure'.
