OBR warns Hunt of £70bn increase in UK government borrowing

The estimate is significantly worse than that calculated by think-tanks

Valeria Martinez
clock • 1 min read

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has estimated that a worse economic outlook will raise government borrowing close to £100bn in 2026-27, around £70bn higher than the fiscal watchdog’s budget deficit calculations of just £31.6bn in March.

An ally of the chancellor told the Financial Times that chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement will heavily focus on fixing the UK's public finances because it was "hard to sugar coat" the OBR forecasts.  However, the source also insisted that the Treasury was not planning on making the looming recession worse by raising taxes excessively and spending cuts.  Speaking to the BBC on Sunday (13 November), Hunt acknowledged the need to take action after the dire OBR forecasts, noting that "we are going to see everyone paying more tax" and  "we are going to see spending cuts". Approx...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Economics / Markets

More work needed to tackle inflation as BoE members warn of further market turmoil

More work needed to tackle inflation as BoE members warn of further market turmoil

BoE MPC members spoke at Treasury Committee hearing

Sorin Dojan
clock 06 March 2025 • 2 min read
Trump's presidency and tariffs: Advice industry shares views

Trump's presidency and tariffs: Advice industry shares views

‘Stark raving mad’ but ‘great’ for US firms

Isabel Baxter
clock 18 February 2025 • 4 min read
Five-fold surge in advisers buying gilts for clients in 2024

Five-fold surge in advisers buying gilts for clients in 2024

AJ Bell finds 436% increase in gilt purchases on its Investcentre

Isabel Baxter
clock 10 February 2025 • 1 min read