MPs dismiss union demands for OBR review

‘The world has moved on from the self-defeating logic of austerity, but the OBR models still bake in its false assumptions,’ TUC leader Paul Nowak has said

Climate Crisis / 22 September 2026 Most Church of England cathedrals still use fossil fuel banks, study finds 22 September 2026 Scotland / 22 September 2026 Holyrood backs Scotland’s ‘right to decide’ 22 September 2026 Solidarity / 22 September 2026 Stop the War Scotland back rail unions' stand on Palestine 22 September 2026 Europe / 22 September 2026 Burnham warned against rejoining EU 22 September 2026 Politics / 22 September 2026 Welsh government sets out key priorities for Senedd term 22 September 2026 Workers' Rights / 22 September 2026 Breadlam as Hovis drivers begin indefinite strike over pay 22 September 2026 UNION demands for a review of Britain’s public finances watchdog were dismissed as “siren calls” in a treasury committee report today.

The cross-party group of MPs said that the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) “voice must be protected rather than castigated.”

Last month, before his appointment by the Chancellor to the Bank of England’s board, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak described the OBR as a “millstone preventing good growth across the country,” adding: “The world has moved on from the self-defeating logic of austerity, but the OBR models still bake in its false assumptions.”

Louise Haigh called for an overhaul of the organisation before she became PM Andy Burnham’s de-facto deputy.

The treasury committee concluded that calls for reform are often fuelled by the desire for additional spending capacity, describing this motivation as “a poor substitute for having a coherent economic policy and the courage to make tough decisions with public money.”