OBR chief’s exit may ease pressure on Rachel Reeves but the battle isn’t over

Allies of Rachel Reeves said there was little rapport between the chancellor and outgoing OBR boss Richard Hughes, pictured. Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock

Had Richard Hughes not resigned as boss of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on Monday amid the indignation over the accidental publication of Rachel Reeves’s budget, the Treasury might now be under pressure over the tsunami of leaks that preceded it.

The OBR’s David Miles told MPs on Tuesday the leaks had been so widespread and misleading that the watchdog feared its reputation was at stake.