Chancellor Announces Jonathan Haskel as Preferred Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility

Professor Jonathan Haskel CBE has been nominated as candidate for the Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)

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.