Office for Budget Responsibility Forecasts

Luke Evans Excerpts

Monday 1st December 2025 Commons Chamber

[James Murray]

Events are moving quickly, and I understand that the chair of the OBR has resigned. That is what I understand from messages passed to me.

[Dr Luke Evans (Hinckley and Bosworth) (Con)]

Through the morass of leaks, one thing is crystal clear: this Labour Government broke their manifesto commitment. The Chancellor said:

“I am asking everyone to make a contribution”,—[Official Report, 26 November 2025; Vol. 776, c. 393.]

then went around the studios at the weekend saying,

“I am asking ordinary people to pay a little bit more”.

She is not asking; she is telling the public. Will the Minister come to the Dispatch Box and confirm that if my constituents say they will not pay their taxes, they will not face any criminal or financial repercussions?

[James Murray]

The Chancellor was clear at the Budget last week that we were taking the fair and necessary taxation decisions to ensure that everyone makes a contribution, but that the contribution of working people is kept as low as possible thanks to the other choices made. Increasing tax on property income, increasing tax on properties worth more than £2 million and reforming gambling taxation all mean that we can keep taxes on working people as low as possible.