Reeves accused of forcing OBR chief to quit after watchdog revealed truth about Budget black hole
Badenoch accuses Reeves of forcing OBR head’s resignation
- Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of forcing Richard Hughes, the former chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), to resign.
- Ms Badenoch claimed Mr Hughes was forced out for revealing that Ms Reeves had potentially misled the public about a spending black hole, despite the OBR informing her of a £4bn surplus.
- Mr Hughes officially resigned over a leak of Budget details 40 minutes before its delivery, attributed to a long-standing systematic problem.
- The accusation was made during Prime Minister's Questions, where Sir Keir Starmer defended his government's economic record and praised Mr Hughes.
- Ms Reeves left PMQs before an urgent question on Mr Hughes' resignation, leaving her deputy to respond, as pressure mounts on her position.