There have been four budget or budget-like statements in less than a year now. That’s four opportunities for the Chancellor … Continue reading “Damian McBride is right: George Osborne maintains broad spending aim, but increasingly resembles Brown”

Yesterday, Labour forced a Commons vote on allowing the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to audit the manifestos of political … Continue reading “Why the OBR shouldn’t audit the manifestos of political parties”

Much was made in the media of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s suggested reduction in the assumed long-term trend growth … Continue reading “The trend in trend growth is downwards”

Two things struck me about the OBR report published yesterday. I shall blog about the other later…

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer’s proposal to set up an independent Office for Budget Responsibility sounds like a good idea. … Continue reading “Truth in government”

Two things struck me about the OBR report published yesterday. I shall blog about the other later… The first was … Continue reading “OBR shouldn’t take a Bernie Madoff approach to public sector pensions”

Much was made in the media of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s suggested reduction in the assumed long-term trend growth … Continue reading “The trend in trend growth is downwards”

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer’s proposal to set up an independent Office for Budget Responsibility sounds like a good idea. … Continue reading “Truth in government”