OBR Chief 'Mortified' as Budget Details Leak Early
The chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), Richard Hughes, has stated he is prepared to resign after a significant security failure led to the premature publication of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget assessment. The Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) document became accessible online more than half an hour before the Chancellor delivered her statement to the House of Commons on Thursday 27 November 2025.
Investigation Launched into Technical Error
Mr Hughes confirmed he was "mortified" by the incident, which he attributed to a technical error rather than a malicious cyber attack. He explained that a link to the sensitive document was "inadvertently made accessible to the public" before the conclusion of the Chancellor's statement, contrary to strict protocol.
An immediate investigation has been launched with input from Professor Ciaran Martin, the former head of the National Cyber Security Centre. The probe aims to identify the exact cause and ensure such a breach never happens again, with a report expected by early the following week.
Hughes Takes Full Responsibility
In a swift response, Richard Hughes wrote formal letters of apology to both Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Commons Treasury Committee chair, Dame Meg Hillier. In these communications, he took "full responsibility for what has happened."
He explicitly stated his position, telling a Resolution Foundation event: "Personally, I serve day-to-day subject to the confidence of the Chancellor and the Treasury Committee. If they both conclude... they no longer have confidence in me then, of course, I will resign."
Chancellor's Reaction and Committee Query
Despite the serious breach, Chancellor Reeves has publicly stated that she retains confidence in Mr Hughes. However, she described the error as a "serious breach" and acknowledged her anger was at the "higher end" of the scale when she discovered the leak while in the Commons Chamber.
She emphasised to Sky News: "What happened yesterday, it did let me down, and it shouldn't have happened, and it must never happen again."
In a separate development, Dame Meg Hillier has written to Mr Hughes querying a passage in the OBR's foreword that referenced a letter sent to her about the forecast's evolution, which she claims not to have received.
The OBR has confirmed that the National Cyber Security Centre is not currently investigating the incident, reinforcing the initial assessment that this was an internal technical failure and not an external cyber attack.
