The chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced Prof Jonathan Haskel as her nominated candidate to be the next chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility.
A professor of economics at Imperial College London, Haskel’s research focuses on productivity and growth. He has held senior roles across academia, public policy and independent oversight.
He served as an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee from 2018-2024, as non-executive director of the UK Statistics Authority from 2016-2022, and as an external member of the reporting panel of the Competition and Markets Authority from 2001-2009.
The recommended appointment is subject to the approval of the Treasury Committee. Haskel will appear before the committee for a pre-appointment hearing. The Treasury said “it is anticipated he could take up his post in good time to oversee the OBR produce its forecast alongside the Budget later this year”.
Budget Responsibility Committee members Prof David Miles and Tom Josephs will continue to lead the OBR in the interim. They took the reins after Richard Hughes quit in December following a bungle which saw the watchdog accidentally leak details of the 2025 Budget early.
Announcing her pick, Reeves said: “Jonathan Haskel is an outstanding nominee for chair. His depth of expertise in economics and his track record of independent, rigorous analysis make him exactly the right person to lead the OBR – supporting the credibility of our fiscal framework and ensuring our economy is underpinned by sound public finances.”
Haskel said he is “honoured” to be nominated as the next chair of the OBR, which is responsible for producing the official UK economic and fiscal forecasts, assessing the government’s performance against its fiscal rules, and reporting on the sustainability of and risks to the public finances.
“The OBR plays an indispensable role in maintaining the transparency and integrity of the UK’s public finances, and I am committed to upholding that,” Haskel added.
The OBR is an independent executive responsibility for producing the official UK economic and fiscal forecasts, assessing the government’s performance against its fiscal rules, and reporting on the sustainability of and risks to the public finances.