Today, the Chancellor has announced Professor Jonathan Haskel CBE as her nominated candidate for the Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)
Professor Haskel is a Professor of Economics at Imperial College London. His research focuses on productivity and growth, and 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 to 2024, a non-Executive Director of the UK Statistics Authority from 2016 to 2022, and an External Member of the Reporting Panel of the Competition and Markets Authority from 2001 to 2009.
The Treasury Committee approves all appointments to the Budget Responsibility Committee, including the Chair. Professor Haskel will appear before the committee for a pre-appointment hearing in due course and it is anticipated he can could take up his post in good time to oversee the OBR produce its forecast alongside the Budget later this year.
In the interim, Budget Responsibility Committee members Professor David Miles and Tom Josephs will continue to lead the OBR.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel 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.
Professor Jonathan Haskel said
I am honoured to be nominated as the next Chair of the OBR. 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. I would thank the Imperial College staff and students I have worked with over the past years. I also want to thank Professor David Miles and Tom Josephs for their outstanding leadership of the OBR during this period.
The OBR has 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. As an independent institution, the OBR is committed to providing objective, transparent and impartial analysis.
As with all Treasury appointments, the recruitment process was designed to ensure the most qualified candidate was appointed from the broadest possible pool of applicants.
Further information
- Professor Haskel’s appointment will be confirmed subject to the Treasury Select Committee’s pre-appointment scrutiny and consent, in line with the requirements of the Governance Code for Public Appointments.
- Jonathan Haskel has been Professor of Economics at Imperial College Business School since 2008. His research focuses on productivity and growth. He served as an External Member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee from 2018 to 2024, a non-Executive Director of the UK Statistics Authority from 2016 to 2022, and an External Member of the Reporting Panel of the Competition and Markets Authority from 2001 to 2009. He has held academic positions in both the UK and the United States.