London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Mini-budget: PM to meet head of OBR following market turmoil

Mini-budget: PM to meet head of OBR following market turmoil

The prime minister will meet the head of Britain's independent forecaster on Friday after days of market turmoil.

In an unusual move, Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will meet the chairman of the Office of Budget Responsibility's (OBR) to discuss the fallout after Friday's mini-budget.

The watchdog offered to prepare a draft forecast in time for the mini-budget but it was not taken up.

A group of MPs has called for the forecast to be released "immediately".

The Treasury Select Committee said the lack of this forecast before last Friday's mini-budget had "in some part driven the lack of confidence in the markets".

News of the meeting with OBR chairman Richard Hughes came as a new poll gave Labour a 33 percentage point lead over the Tories.

Government sources have dismissed suggestions the talks with the independent forecaster, announced late on Thursday and first reported by the Guardian, amounted to an "emergency meeting".

It is understood the forecast process will be discussed, as well as economic and fiscal developments since March.

Earlier on Thursday, the prime minister and chancellor defended their policy after a dramatic week that saw the pound slump against the dollar and the Bank of England forced to step in and take action.

Forecasts of the UK's economic outlook by the OBR are usually published when the government makes major financial announcements, for example on Budget day.

In the letter on Thursday, Conservative MP Mel Stride - who chairs the cross-party Treasury Select Committee said the lack of an OBR forecast had left some people with the impression the government was trying to avoid scrutiny.

He said the next forecast should be brought forward, and that the chancellor's next planned financial statement on 23 November should also be moved forward "to as early a date as possible", given "the continued uncertainty within markets".

The OBR publicly confirmed on Thursday that it had sent the chancellor a forecast when he took office in September - and also offered to update it in line with any planned government announcements but was not commissioned to do so.

The intervention from the committee comes after the prime minister spoke to a number of BBC outlets this morning, which saw her insist the tax cuts outlined in the mini-budget were the "right plan".

Forecasts from the independent OBR give an indication of the health of the nation's finances and there have been calls for a forecast to be published in the last week.

In defending his policies to Conservative MPs, Mr Kwarteng said they were needed to stop a collapse in consumer spending - and that he was working at pace to show markets he had a "clear plan".

He pledged that reforms "on childcare, business regulations, financial services, agriculture and more" would be set out in the next six weeks.

The message on WhatsApp contained a list of "talking points" to defend the government's handling of the economy, including that the "government needed to act urgently".

Since it was announced at the end of last week the mini-budget has faced widespread criticism, with the International Monetary Fund and former Bank of England governor Mark Carney disparaging the plan.

On Tuesday the Bank of England said it would buy up to £65bn worth of government bonds to prevent the collapse of some pension funds.

Across all polls Labour have opened up an average 19.5% lead over the Conservatives since Ms Truss became prime minister three weeks ago.

A new poll, by YouGov for The Times and carried out on Wednesday, found Labour had a 33-point lead.


Listen to key moments from the prime minister's eight morning interviews

On mini-budget: "We had to take decisive action"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×