Vicky Spratt(@Victoria_Spratt):EXCLUSIVE 🗞️- Britain’s economic watchdog, the OBR, is concerned that it may have to revise down the boost to GDP it had attached to Labour’s flagship planning reforms and 1.5 million new homes target. The OBR has invited housing market experts in for meetings in a bid to “understand why the housing market is underperforming” so badly. This will be a blow to the government and signals the state of our housing market amid worsening economic headwinds including inflation and higher mortgage rates which, in their defence, are neither Labour’s fault nor entirely within their control. It also raised questions about the OBR’s initial forecast which experts have told me was optimistic at best. My report @theipaper

2026.09.20 16:17

EXCLUSIVE 🗞️- Britain’s economic watchdog, the OBR, is concerned that it may have to revise down the boost to GDP it had attached to Labour’s flagship planning reforms and 1.5 million new homes target. The OBR has invited housing market experts in for meetings in a bid to “understand why the housing market is underperforming” so badly. This will be a blow to the government and signals the state of our housing market amid worsening economic headwinds including inflation and higher mortgage rates which, in their defence, are neither Labour’s fault nor entirely within their control. It also raised questions about the OBR’s initial forecast which experts have told me was optimistic at best. My report @theipaper