Thursday, July 08, 2010

The perfect man for the OBR

The Office for Budget Responsibility needs a new head, as Alan Budd isn’t staying on. Various names have been suggested, but there’s one striking omission from the speculation.

The job needs someone with experience of economic policy, who knows the way the Treasury works and the tricks chancellors try to pull. It should be somebody who will be able to resist political pressure from George Osborne to do what’s convenient for the government. It should be someone who likes to be in a position of authority without having to court popularity or charm and inspire people. And it should be someone who’s probably not happy in their current position.

Well?

Oh, come on. It’d be so funny.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do not need to look at the link bet it's Gordon Brown, do you think he'd take the job, he'd have to get paid more then Cameron mind you.

Liam Murray said...

Haven't had this broad a smile for a long time - thank you.

And it's only really the timing that makes it a surreal suggestion. Imagine he went to the IMF for 4/5 years, or even into academia - he'd clearly be a credible candidate which shows how difficult this 'independent / non-political' line is to hold.

Mind you, it could equally be Osborne in a decade with a Miliband or Balls in No.10....

Anonymous said...

God help if people think Brown would be good at this, we are being told now he is writing words by the thousands to try and get his book into print before Blairs, ah it's nice to see so much love.