Budget watchdog finds £9.5bn shortfall in previous government’s spending plans

The Budget sought to address what ministers have called the ‘£22 billion black hole’ in the public finances (PA) - (PA Wire)

The Budget watchdog has confirmed that the last government “did not provide” them with all available information at the last budget but has not repeated the Government’s £22 billion black hole claim.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has uncovered £9.5 billion in spending pressures that it was not made aware of ahead of Jeremy Hunt’s fiscal statement in March, and has said that its judgment on spending would have been “materially different” had it had access to this information.