The chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility, Richard Hughes, has expressed deep regret over the early release of its budget forecasts, as an inquiry is launched into how the documents were inadvertently made accessible. Hughes said he felt “personally mortified” and has apologised to Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Treasury select committee chair Meg Hillier.
Reuters, which first published excerpts, revealed it obtained the document by visiting a URL it predicted would contain the file. The OBR had used the same web address for previous budget documents, changing only the date. The link was not advertised but was unprotected.
Former National Cyber Security Centre chief Ciaran Martin will provide expert input to the investigation, overseen by independent OBR oversight board members Sarah Hogg and Dame Susan Rice. The terms of reference describe a “publication error” and assume the OBR inadvertently made the November 2025 economic and fiscal outlook accessible too early.
Chancellor Reeves expressed continued confidence in Hughes despite the breach, which occurred about 45 minutes before her budget speech. Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said the OBR needs reform, calling the incident “unprecedented and deeply worrying.” Labour MP Liam Byrne suggested Hughes should consider his position.
Hughes said he expects the investigation to report by early next week and is prepared to step down if Reeves and Hillier lose confidence in him. The budget raised taxes by £26bn, partly due to weaker OBR forecasts.
