Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt has accused the independent fiscal watchdog of lacking “political impartiality” ahead of its review that could be critical of the Conservative government.
The previous government has been accused by Rachel Reeves, the current chancellor, of leaving a £22bn financial “black hole” between income and promised spending in the public finances.
Ms Reeves said she only became aware of it upon entering government as information was withheld by the Tory government from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) – independent budget forecasters.
The OBR review into the issue of possible withholding of information and the past government’s departmental spending transparency will be published on Wednesday – the same day as the budget.
Mr Hunt said: “I do not believe publishing a review with criticisms of the main opposition party on the day of a budget is consistent with political impartiality,”.
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No Tory ministers were asked for their views, he added, something that meant the review was a “political intervention”.
The budget day timing of the announcement “gave the impression the OBR had pre-judged the outcome”, Mr Hunt said.
Expected tax rises and public spending cuts coming on Wednesday’s budget announcement are grounded on there being a £22bn black hole.
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OBR chairman Richard Hughes said the report would “solely concern the institutional relationship between the OBR and Treasury” and address the “adequacy of the information and assurances” provided by the Treasury.
He added the watchdog did not consider it “necessary, or appropriate, given the possible market sensitivity of some of the information contained therein, to provide ministers of the previous government with access to the contents of the report and its conclusions before publication”.
