"The only powers we have are the ones given to us by Parliament in legislation,"
"And those are the powers to produce a forecast, to"
"unelected institution dictating the limits of government ambition"
"unaccountable OBR"
"straitjacket on growth"
Budget presentation has shifted from the chancellor's Red Box to a chart-filled blue book produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR sits in a corner of the Ministry of Justice building and assesses the cost of government policies. The department, staffed mainly by young analysts and civil servants, exerts significant influence over economic policy. Critics accuse it of being unelected and overly powerful, with claims it constrains government ambition and growth. The Trades Union Congress describes it as a 'straitjacket on growth.' Chairman Richard Hughes emphasizes the OBR's statutory limits, saying its powers are to produce forecasts.
Read at www.bbc.com
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