The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), established in 2010 and placed on a statutory footing in 2011 , was introduced to bring independence and credibility to the UK’s fiscal system.

Ahead of the UK Budget 2025 , however, the OBR became the inadvertant focus of attention when its accidental early release of official forecasts revealed key tax and spending details before UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves addressed the country.

With the watchdog now investigating how the leak happened, fresh questions are being asked about its processes, reliability and why its role matters more than ever.

Here is the OBR explained, and why the Budget leak matters.

Check out for our expert and in-depth coverage of the event and what's still to come

What is the OBR - and why does it matter o

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