Jeremy Hunt today launched a last-ditch bid to prevent Britain’s economic watchdog publishing a ‘highly political’ dossier on his legacy alongside the Budget.
The former chancellor asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to delay the publication of a review by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) into an alleged £22billion ‘black hole’ in the public finances left by the last government.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves plans to deploy the study on Wednesday as she tries to pin the blame for huge Budget tax rises on the Conservatives.
But the OBR’s conduct has enraged Mr Hunt, who was not contacted about the report’s content, despite being chancellor at the time.
In a letter to Mr Case he said he was a ‘strong supporter’ of the OBR but said the watchdog risked losing its reputation for independence.
Jeremy Hunt launched a last-ditch attempt to block a ‘highly political’ dossier on his time as Chancellor alongside tomorrow’s Budget
Chancellor Rachel Reeves plans to use the study on Wednesday as she tries to pin the blame for huge Budget tax rises on the Conservatives
He added: ‘Straying into political territory and failing to follow due process like this demeans it and also is deeply problematic for perceptions of the impartiality of the Civil Service.’
Mr Hunt and Ms Reeves clashed over the issue at Treasury questions in the Commons.
The shadow chancellor said: ‘We all know why she’s inventing this fictitious black hole. Thirty times this year before the election she promised not to raise tax and tomorrow she’s planning the biggest tax-raising budget in history.’
Ms Reeves hit back: ‘I think it is important we don’t deny the seriousness of the situation that we face with the black hole in the public finances.
‘Combined with lashing out at independent economic institutions, (it) suggests that he’s got more in common with Liz Truss or Kwasi Kwarteng than perhaps we thought.’
Mr Hunt has asked the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case (pictured) to delay the publication of a review by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) into an alleged £22million ‘black hole’ in the public finances
Liz Truss sidelined the OBR when she unveiled her slated mini-budget in September 2022
Liz Truss and her chancellor Mr Kwarteng sidelined the OBR when announcing the ill-fated mini-budget measures in September 2022.
OBR chairman Richard Hughes said the watchdog’s review is ‘concerned with the adequacy of the information and assurances’ it was given by Mr Hunt’s Treasury in the run-up to the March 2024 Budget.
Downing Street said Sir Keir Starmer will ‘back the independent OBR, not trash it’.
Ms Truss called for the OBR to be scrapped, adding: ‘When politicians outsource power to unelected bodies like the OBR they destroy accountability and democracy. We will only be able to implement Conservative economic policies when it is abolished.’
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