Independence drive for OBR
The OBR was set up in haste by the coalition government in May with a stated goal of it removing political interference from official forecasting by providing an independent look at the fiscal picture.
But accusations that it had changed job loss forecasts in a way that enabled ministers to put a more positive gloss on spending cuts has cast doubt on its credibility at a time when critics say major cuts could endanger economic recovery.
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Hide AdIn a letter to Chancellor George Osborne, Alan Budd, the OBR's interim head, set out a detailed list of recommendations that include relocating it outside the Treasury and staffing the newly-formed body with more outside experts and civil servants on secondment.