Hunt seeks to block release of review into his spending plans

Jeremy Hunt yesterday called on the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, to prevent the release of a review by the Office for Budget Responsibility into his spending plans today ahead of the budget.

- Jessica Elgot

The former chancellor has accused Rachel Reeves of politicising the OBR after she announced she would release a review into the spending forecast published during his time at the Treasury.

Government sources have briefed that the review may give Reeves proof that there was a £22bn hole in spending this year.

Hunt has been scathing about the idea that a hole in spending exists and said he had not been contacted by the watchdog or the Treasury about the review, even though he was running the finance ministry until the election in early July.

Hunt wrote to the OBR this week but yesterday escalated his concerns to Case - asking him to make a judgment call about whether publishing the report at the same time as the budget was politically appropriate.

Hunt said the OBR had assured him it would not comment on the conduct of ministers. He said there was "no constitutional precedent" for a review commissioned by a current government into the conduct of a previous government not to be shown to those involved before publication.