UK Chancellor Urged to Overhaul Budget Watchdog for More Public Investment
Thinktanks call on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to reform the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to enable greater public investment ahead of the spring forecast.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves must reform the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to open the way to more public investment, an alliance of thinktanks has argued ahead of the chancellor's spring forecast on Tuesday.
With Keir Starmer's government under intense pressure after Labour's defeat by the Greens in Thursday's Gorton and Denton byelection, the thinktanks called on Reeves to review the watchdog's remit. They say the OBR is acting as a backseat driver with out-of-date maps, hindering the government's ability to boost investment.
The calls come as Reeves prepares to deliver her highly anticipated spring budget, which will outline the government's economic plans and priorities. Observers are watching closely to see if Reeves will heed the thinktanks' advice and take steps to reform the OBR.
Source: The Guardian
