Treasury chief: I wasn’t quizzed over Budget leaks

The Treasury’s top civil servant has revealed his surprise at not being interviewed as part of an inquiry into Budget leaks despite being privy to all the Chancellor’s tax plans.

In unusually candid remarks, James Bowler, pictured inset, also spoke of his ‘frustration’ at the investigation’s failure to find the source of a leak that Rachel Reeves would drop plans to raise income tax.

A series of other policies – which included extending the freeze on income tax thresholds and a downgrade of UK productivity by the official forecaster – were briefed to the media before the Chancellor’s statement in November last year. The news hit business and consumer confidence as financial markets gyrated on the speculation.

Appearing before MPs on the Treasury Select Committee last week, Bowler was asked if he was surprised investigators from the Cabinet Office had not quizzed him about the leaks – even though he knew all the key Budget details.

What’s in the box?: Rachel Reeves’ Budget was subject to constant leaks and James Bowler (above right) has revealed his surprise at not being interviewed as part of the inquiry

‘Yeah, I was a bit,’ he said, confirming he had been questioned ‘many, many times’ in previous leak inquiries.

He added that he didn’t know if it was ‘special treatment’ that he wasn’t interviewed this time.

Bowler’s comments came just days before he was parachuted in to share the role of head of the civil service and cabinet secretary until a permanent replacement for Sir Chris Wormald is found.

Wormald last week became the latest casualty in a clear-out of key advisers by beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Bowler will share Wormald’s responsibilities with fellow mandarins Catherine Little and Antonia Romeo, the Home Office permanent secretary who is tipped to get the top job.

MPs were also told that the investigation did not clarify whether the leak came from inside the Treasury.

‘Frustratingly, it didn’t find the exact source of the leak – and that is a source of frustration to me personally,’ Bowler said.

‘We are determined to learn from the situations that happened in the Budget and tighten our handling of market sensitive information,’ he added.

Bowler also revealed that a search for a new chair for the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) would begin ‘imminently’.

The independent forecaster’s boss, Richard Hughes, quit in December after details of the Chancellor’s Budget were accidentally leaked on its website nearly an hour before she announced them in Parliament.

A successor would be appointed before the Budget later this year, Bowler said. He also insisted that the OBR’s remit would remain unchanged despite criticism that Rachel Reeves’ ‘non-negotiable’ fiscal rules were stifling growth.

The Cabinet Office declined to comment.