Budget Numbers Row: Did Rachel Reeves Mislead You?

City AM Editor-in-Chief Christian May breaks down the controversy over the OBR's forecasts and the government's pre-Budget messaging. The focus was on a £16bn productivity slump, but the government left out a key detail: massive tax receipts that effectively cancelled out the shortfall. The result? A narrative of struggle that justified tax hikes, despite a more comfortable fiscal starting point. Critically, business confidence has since plummeted to lockdown-era levels. Why was the full data kept back? #UKPolitics #BudgetAnalysis #FinancialNews #OBRForecast #UKBusinessConfidence #Shorts