The Financial Times published the news that the head of the Office for Budget Responsibility had resigned following the early leak of the budget. Richard Hughes’ departure follows a review that found “the same failures allowed early access to the Spring Statement”, leaving concerns that “other Budgets could also be compromised”.
“Reeves continues to hold on as OBR chief silenced,” according to The Daily Telegraph. Following his resignation, Richard Hughes will no longer appear before the Treasury committee and is “refraining from further criticism of Ms Reeves, who is already under pressure to resign.” In other budget news, council houses worth more than £2 million will not face new property tax introduced by the Chancellor.
i Paper also oversees the exit of the OBR chair from its top slot, but says he was “forced out after contradicting the Chancellor”. Relations between the financial watchdog and the Treasury were at an “all-time low” after Richard Hughes chose to publish a timetable challenging Reeves’ claims about the “difficulties he faced in balancing the books”.
The Times headline says the OBR chief’s resignation comes after he was “publicly rebuked” by the prime minister. A review of the budget’s early release found it to be the “worst failure” in the office’s history. Singer Kylie Minogue stood out by wearing Jonathan Anderson at the Fashion Awards, where the designer won the top prize.
The Guardian said Richard Hughes took “full responsibility” for the Budget leak as he left the OBR, while Sir Keir Starmer “clearly failed to express his confidence in the senior economist”. Labor MP Tulip Siddiq is also on the front page after being sentenced to two years in prison in Bangladesh after being tried in absentia over corruption allegations. He said the process was “flawed and absurd from start to finish.”
The Daily Mail calls former OBR chief Richard Hughes “the man of Reeves’ Budget lies” and says the government is “shameless”. He writes that it “reveals the truth about his financial ‘black hole,'” referring to the funding gap that Hughes stated he had to fill.
The Independent also leads on the “Budget black hole” issue, but Sir Keir Starmer denies “we are misleading anyone” on this issue. Indy now says the “Labor briefings debate” has “deepened” as Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir meet with ministers about the improved OBR forecast.
The Daily Express focuses on a speech the prime minister gave on Monday in which he addressed the impact of Brexit on the UK economy. It is stated that Sir Keir Starmer “has vowed to appease Brussels while trying to defend his Chancellor under fire”.
The Daily Mirror calls for “justice for the missing victims” of the Post Office Horizon scandal. Police can now prosecute corporate manslaughter in cases where staff accused of theft take their own lives due to a faulty IT system, the Mirror reports.
A former England and Premier League footballer has been arrested over an alleged attempted rape, The Sun said. The paper says the man, who reportedly played for England in the 2010s, was released on bail pending further investigation after being arrested at Stansted airport following a claim from his former partner.
There are “tears of cheers” for “humble hero” Kevin Sinfield, the Daily Star writes. The former Rugby league player, who is now taking part in the ultramarathon challenge, has raised more than £10 million for motor neurone disease, the newspaper says.
