George Osborne’s much-vaunted Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was supposedly set up to guarantee the “independence and integrity” of growth and borrowing figures which, he claimed, had been subject to “fiddling” under Labour.
Revelations that the OBR is is staffed by exactly the same Treasury economists that produced data slammed by Osborne have only strengthened claims that the whole thing is a cheap gimmick. Others have poured scorn on the OBR’s independent credentials, contrasting its vague legal status with that of bodies such as the National Audit Office and Office of National Statistics, which are truly independent through their accountability to parliament rather than the executive.
With Whitehall whisperings that the OBR came under pressure to overstate the problems facing the economy, how is the coalition spinning the composition of this body? Its official website states that OBR chief Sir Alan Budd is:
“… supported by a small secretariat of economists and public finance experts redeployed from within HM Treasury”
Well it seems they didn’t feel the need to “redeploy” them very far! -
As these exclusive images show, the former section for Macroeconomic and Fiscal Policy (MFP) was magically transformed into the Office for Budget Responsibility by … sticking a piece of paper over the old sign!
So the new “independent” OBR is not only staffed by the same economists but is located in exactly the same room – all within Osborne’s department.
At least they can’t use A4 paper to conceal their cuts.
UPDATE: The excellent Other TaxPayers’ Alliance have just tweeted their proposed re-brand!
2 Comments
In fairness that’s exactly the same as happened with the Bank of England isnt it?
Also I believe the body will be put on a statutory footing similar to the ONS but Osborne wanted it set up pre-budget.
As a final point, the issue wasnt that the stats they produced were dodgy, it was that they gave a ‘range’ of forecasts to the chancellor who chose which one they wanted. Now the forecast that goes into the budget is set by the OBR whether the chancellor likes it or not – no more mad forecasts of growth three years in the future to cover up governments profligate spending.
One indicator of a lack of independence is that the OBR’s figures keep on being leaked.
Leaking stats in advance undermines them. Obviously, the political masters get first sight of new figures. This makes the figures vulnerable, both to pressure to change them if awkward (with feedback into the internal processes – self-censorship) and to advance spin that shapes the perception of the figures to political ends.
(Perhaps we’ve already seen this with Cameron talking this week about big Labour spinning of earlier forecasts, accusations that Budd has not echoed).
For theses reasons (plus market sensitivity), it’s established pretty much everywhere now that important economic stats ought to be released in a controlled way without leaks and advance info to ministers.
The whole point about the OBR is that it’s supposed to be independent. But when it plays footsie with ministers in advance, that claim starts to disintegrate.
To be independent, the OBR would have to move out of the Treasury. Has that been promised?
38 Trackbacks
New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/d0d624
RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/d0d624
RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/d0d624
New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in exactly the same room! http://is.gd/dcwoJ
RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/d0d624
RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/d0d624
Well at least the government hasn't squandered precious resources on the OBR – hilarious – http://tinyurl.com/23tqrwl
RT @psbook: The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in exactly the same room! http://is.gd/dcwoJ #orwellian
RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/d0d624
RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in exactly the same r… http://is.gd/dcwoJ
The “independent” Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/a84AAQ
RT @paulstpancras: RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in exactly the same r… http://is.gd/dcwoJ
RT @paulstpancras: RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in exactly the same r… http://is.gd/dcwoJ
RT @paulstpancras: The “independent” Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/a84AAQ
RT @paulstpancras: RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in exactly the same r… http://is.gd/dcwoJ
RT @psbook The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in exactly the same room! http://is.gd/dcwoJ
RT @OtherTPA: RT @psbook The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in exactly the same room! http://is.gd/dcwoJ
Papering over the cracks http://bit.ly/b5Eh99 via @psbook
The “independent” Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/b5Eh99 /cc @feedly
RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/d0d624
RT @stefanstern: Well at least the government hasn't squandered precious resources on the OBR – hilarious – http://tinyurl.com/23tqrwl
RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: same economists in exactly the same room! http://is.gd/dcwoJ
RT @psbook: New post –> The "independent" Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in the same office! http://bit.ly/d0d624
How independent is the Office of Budget Responsibility? @PSBook has an interesting take here http://bit.ly/9nmGCe
Breaking – the 'independent' Office for Budget Responsibility – same room, same economists, paper sign on door: http://tinyurl.com/23tqrwl
RT @tommilleruk: Breaking – the 'independent' Office for Budget Responsibility – same room, same economists, paper sign on door: http://tinyurl.com/23tqrwl
RT @tommilleruk The 'independent' Office fr Budget Responsibility: same room, same economists, paper sign on door http://tinyurl.com/23tqrwl
RT @tommilleruk The 'independent' OBR- same room, same economists, paper sign on door: http://tinyurl.com/23tqrwl
RT @LukePollard: How independent is the Office of Budget Responsibility? @PSBook has an interesting take here http://bit.ly/9nmGCe
The “independent” Office for Budget Responsibility: the same …: George Osborne's much-vaunted Office for Budget … http://bit.ly/atjUgD
The “independent” Office for Budget Responsibility: the same economists in exactly the same room! http://bit.ly/98ypR0 via @AddToAny
RT @tommilleruk: Breaking – the 'independent' Office for Budget Responsibility – same room, same economists, paper sign on door: http://tinyurl.com/23tqrwl
RT @tommilleruk: Breaking – the 'independent' Office for Budget Responsibility – same room, same economists, paper sign on door: http://tinyurl.com/23tqrwl
[...] of Budget Responsibility hasn’t even been enshrined in law properly yet, and barely has a sign on the office door, losing its chairman this early doesn’t look good. Sir Alan Budd is off in [...]
@gavinshuker Even if you described the OBR as "independent" (not true!) http://is.gd/dcwoJ http://is.gd/dhYnl
[...] Singer July 7, 2010 at 12:52 pm Sir Alan Budd’s sudden resignation from Osborne’s Bureau for Rebuttal is the perfect moment to remind ourselves of his astonishing – but essentially correct – [...]
The "independent" OBR. I wonder whether they've got their own office yet? http://bit.ly/9nmGCe #CSR
[...] extent he created such straw-men as Sir Alan Budd at the Office for Budget Responsibility, which was promptly shot down as a pretence of anything “independent”. If Gids starts marking the statistical cards [...]