MPs granted veto powers over OBR

Laura Miller
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The Treasury Select Committee will have the power to veto the appointment of the new chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), Chancellor George Osborne has said.

Osborne told the committee he hopes the move will remove any doubt about the independence of the new tax and spending watchdog after its interim chairman Sir Alan Budd quit, according to the BBC. The OBR was set up to end political interference in official forecasting, but has faced criticism over job cut figures which it was accused of altering to put a positive spin on the cuts. Sir Alan firmly denied any political tampering when he appeared before the Treasury committee, although he has said the OBR should be moved out of its current office in the Treasury and staffed with more out...

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