An official investigation has concluded that the leadership of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) bears responsibility for the premature leak of Chancellor Rachel Reeves's budget, dismissing theories of hostile foreign cyber activity.
Investigation Details and Key Findings
The probe, ordered by the independent fiscal forecaster immediately after the incident, revealed that sensitive details from the budget were accessed at 11.35am on Wednesday, 26 November 2025. This was roughly one hour before the Chancellor stood up in Parliament to deliver her statement.
The report explicitly stated there was "nothing to suggest" the early access resulted from actions by foreign state actors or cybercriminals. It also ruled out any collusion by OBR staff members.
Technical Failure, Not Simple Error
The inquiry went further, clarifying that this was not a case of someone accidentally publishing the forecast too early. "Nor was it simply a matter of pressing the publication button on a locally managed website too early," the findings noted.
Instead, the core cause was identified as "configuration errors." These technical mistakes led to a critical failure: the protections designed to keep documents hidden from public view in the moments just before the official release were not properly activated.
Leadership Accountability and Next Steps
The investigation's conclusions place responsibility squarely on the OBR's leadership for the oversight that allowed these configuration errors to occur. The focus is now on the internal processes and checks within the government's key forecasting body.
This breaking news story is being updated, and further details are expected shortly regarding the specific actions or reforms the OBR will undertake following this significant breach of budget protocol.
