'What A Shambles': Financial Watchdog Accidentally Reveals Budget In Humiliation For Rachel Reeves

Rachel Reeves poses on the doorstep of 11 Downing Street ahead of the Budget.The government’s financial watchdog accidentally published the contents of Rachel Reeves’ Budget more than half an hour before she delivered it.In an astonishing mistake, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) put its analysis of the chancellor’s tax and spending changes on its website.The extraordinary gaffe is a major humiliation for Reeves, who was denied the opportunity to announce her plans first to the House of Commons.The 200-page document confirmed that the two-child benefit cap is being lifted, and that income tax thresholds are being frozen – despite Reeves saying last year that she would not do so.It means there will be 780,000 more basic-rate, 920,000 more higher-rate and 4,000 more additional-rate income tax payers in 2029/30.Council tax will be increased on homes worth more than £2 million, while fuel duty is being frozen for another year.Overall, taxes are being increased by £26 billion in 2029/30, taking the tax burden to its highest level since the end of World War 2.The OBR has also increased its forecast for economic growth this year from 1% to 1.5%, but downgraded its forecasts for the following four years.Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “This has been the most chaotic lead up to a Budget in living memory, with resignations, hostile briefings and leaks galore - even just in the last 10 minutes an unprecedented leak of the OBR analysis.”Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Matters for the OBR are for the OBR.”The OBR blamed a “technical error” for the error and said it had launched an investigation into how it had happened.In a statement, the watchdog said: “A link to our Economic and Fiscal Outlook document went live on our website too early this morning. It has been removed.“We apologise for this technical error and have initiated an investigation into how this happened.”The online reaction to the OBR’s gaffe was predictably brutal.The OBR has broken **the entire Budget**. It's extraordinary. Completely unprecedented. Hyperbole doesn't do it justiceReeves will unveil £26billion in tax rises, ultimately leaving her with £22billion worth of fiscal headroom* The tax burden will hit a record 28 per cent as…— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) November 26, 2025As if it hasn’t been enough of a shambles already, the big OBR document on the Budget has been accidentally released half an hour before Rachel Reeves gets to her feet. Taxes up £26bn…— Jason Groves (@JasonGroves1) November 26, 2025Wow what a shambles - the OBR publishing its report *BEFORE* Rachel Reeves delivers her budget was a mistake apparently— Shehab Khan ITV (@ShehabKhan) November 26, 2025We now go live to the OBR. pic.twitter.com/nR5qPVboL0— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) November 26, 2025Related...The 1 Line From Last Year's Budget That Looks Set To Come Back To Haunt Rachel ReevesAll The Things We Already Know Are Going To Be In Rachel Reeves' BudgetHow Rachel Reeves' Budget Could Make Or Break Her Career

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