Instead, Jenrick floated using statutory instruments to make major fiscal changes such as on the welfare budget or slashing the civil service workforce by more than 100,000 to pre-Brexit levels “within days or weeks.”
Reform dropped its plans to abolish the OBR when Jenrick was appointed Treasury spokesperson, which he said “wasn’t an easy decision,” and that the party “want to keep it, but reform it,” including by looking “at how the budget process works.”
Jenrick added that the party would avoid “the mistakes that Rachel Reeves did” by being “prepared long in advance” with economic policies upon entering government.
Correction: This article was updated to clarify that Reform would hold a budget within 100 days of entering government, and would make some fiscal changes beforehand on the welfare budget and civil service workforce.
