The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has identified an early publication of a significant Budget document as the most serious failure in its 15-year history, attributing the incident to an inadvertent error. Before the Chancellor’s speech, the market-sensitive report was accessed 43 times from 32 different computers. OBR chairman Richard Hughes has since enlisted a cyber-security expert to investigate how the essential document became available on its website prematurely.
Hughes expressed regret over the incident, stating he was “personally mortified” and acknowledged the considerable disruption caused. A report released on the matter concluded that the mistake severely damaged the OBR’s reputation. It noted that the early release disrupted the Chancellor, who expected the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) report to remain confidential until the end of her speech, as is the customary practice.
The premature disclosure of the OBR’s forecast created confusion, as it included key information about the upcoming Budget measures, which the Chancellor intended to announce. This included a pay-per-mile charge on electric vehicles and a three-year freeze on income tax and National Insurance thresholds. Typically, these details are kept confidential until publicly presented in the House of Commons due to their market-sensitive nature.
Following the breach, the OBR promptly removed the report from its website and issued an apology for the early release, characterizing the misstep as a “technical error.” The relationship between the OBR and the Treasury is notable, as the OBR operates independently while working closely with government entities during critical financial disclosures.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd74v35p77jo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss