FabGuys.com forum: OBR, Technical Issue!

By *atureTrans OP TV/TS
3 weeks ago

Waterlooville

The head of the OBR, Mr Hughes took the honourable decision to resign for an error identified as the fault of a junior member of staff.

Which earlier was described as a Technical issue.

Resignation was the correct decision. Any member of staff if they are given the suitable training on a procedure should be capable of fulfilling that duty. So either they weren't trained to a sufficient level, or the individual ignored instructions.

It does put a huge question mark on the management of the OBR.

Is it fit for purpose?

Add in the fact that based on its assumptions of the Goverment economic policy; Good or Bad, the results can cost the country millions based on the reactions of the markets.

I think a better solution to the OBR should be found. After all it's only been there 15 years and causes problems for the whole country. And what benefits does it give?

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By *ucksitupMan
3 weeks ago

Shrewsbury

Well you sound like a proper know it all.

Why don’t you draft a proposal for its replacement and send it to the Government together with your CV to run the new organisation?

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By *opster77Man
3 weeks ago

Wantage

It’s another pointless quango. Of course we know he “resigned “ at the request of Starmer to show Reeves hasn’t done anything wrong.

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By *ucksitupMan
3 weeks ago

Shrewsbury

Except his resignation was over the early release of the budget info.

Reeves is still on the hook for allegedly misleading the commons and the country.

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By *opster77Man
3 weeks ago

Wantage

"Except his resignation was over the early release of the budget info.

Reeves is still on the hook for allegedly misleading the commons and the country. "

But his resignation opens up a case for muddying the waters and with Starmers legal background he’ll know all the tricks to protect his sidekick.

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By *ucksitupMan
3 weeks ago

Shrewsbury

No. Her problem is the timing of various reports and updates and her statements which appear to be inconsistent. His resignation over the budget early release won’t change that.

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By *illyloverMan
3 weeks ago

EH48

What gets me is Reeves, while just about to go into her speech was shown a mobile phone with the leaked info on the OBR info site.

Yet when she was starting her speech she read off a pre produced statement saying she was disappointed that the OBR leaked her info etc etc etc.

How did she have this prepared if she “allegedly” didn’t know??

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By *hiteroseMan
3 weeks ago

Neverwhere

There was a very good interview about this on Radio Four's Newsnight programme last night.

In essence, the OBR's website uses a very insecure operating system called WordPress. Many websites use this system, but it is most suited to things like blogs ... and not quasi-governmental websites handling nationally sensitive information.

An hour or two before the budget was due to be delivered the entire speech was loaded onto the website thinking that it wouldn't go live until after the budget was delivered.

It was down to a misunderstanding as to how the website was configured, but was spotted by some journalist at Reuters who proceeded to make it public.

There are two elements to this that made the position of the OBR's boss untenable.

First, this has happened before. Apparently the same thing happened before the spring budget, but didn't get immediate media coverage.

Second, the OBR should have had a bespoke website with much greater security. All other government departments such as the ONS have much better operating systems for their websites. Given that the OBR is handling commercially sensitive information which influences financial markets then there is no way that they should have been using WordPress.

So in summary, the actions of the OBR were both extremely nieve and incompetent and it was right that the boss resigned.

It doesn’t alter the fact that Rachel Reeves knew that the economic outlook was a lot better than previously thought, but decided not to tell parliament or the public. One can only speculate as to the political reasons for this and that story has plenty of miles left in it.

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By *atureTrans OP TV/TS
3 weeks ago

Waterlooville

Maybe I did not make the thread clear, it is nothing to do with Rachel Reeves.

The point is the unprofessionalism of the OBR and should it be scrapped.

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By *ildwestheroMan
3 weeks ago

Llandrindod Wells

"It’s another pointless quango. Of course we know he “resigned “ at the request of Starmer to show Reeves hasn’t done anything wrong."

Exactly. A scapegoat kicked out of a pointless 'non-job'

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By *atureTrans OP TV/TS
3 weeks ago

Waterlooville

This is from the BBC, "Prof David Miles from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) told MPs Rachel Reeves's comments ahead of announcing her tax and spending plans were "not inconsistent" with the situation she faced."

Some are saying this is a cover up, to protect Rachel Revees.

But whether it is or isn't the OBR has lost all credibility and shoul be ditched.

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By *atureTrans OP TV/TS
2 weeks ago

Waterlooville

An inquiry into the role of the UK government's economic forecaster is being launched by a group of MPs, after the body came under intense scrutiny in the run-up to the Budget.

The Treasury Committee will examine the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) first 15 years and consider potential reforms.

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By *evanianMan
2 weeks ago

Flintshire

"An inquiry into the role of the UK government's economic forecaster is being launched by a group of MPs, after the body came under intense scrutiny in the run-up to the Budget.

The Treasury Committee will examine the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) first 15 years and consider potential reforms."

Hopefully an all party committee, otherwise, they'll just be another cover-up.

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By *evanianMan
2 weeks ago

Flintshire

"An inquiry into the role of the UK government's economic forecaster is being launched by a group of MPs, after the body came under intense scrutiny in the run-up to the Budget.

The Treasury Committee will examine the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) first 15 years and consider potential reforms.

Hopefully an all party committee, otherwise, they'll just be another cover-up."

Just checked the membership of the Treasury Committee it's made up of all party MP's:- 7 Labour, 2 Conservatives and 2 Lib Dems, so the govt have the majority there too....!🙄

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