Sir Alan Budd has ensured that any accusations of a whitewash or cover up cannot be made.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Politics | Blunkett responds to two inquiries

Sir Alan Budd, who was on the first Monetary Policy Committee in 1997, is promoted to knight grand cross.

BBC: Sir Alan Budd and Hector Sants on New Year Honours list

Sir Alan Budd's career has also linked him with Barclays and Credit Suisse.

BBC: Sir Alan Budd and Hector Sants on New Year Honours list

Despite downgrading the growth figures, OBR chairman Sir Alan Budd said he did not think the recession had caused "permanent damage" to the economy.

BBC: Fiscal watchdog downgrades UK growth forecast

The OBR's clout will come from the independence of the three-man committee chaired by Sir Alan Budd, who was one of the founder members of the MPC.

ECONOMIST: Why budgets will be more grown-up

Sir Alan Budd, former chief economic adviser to the Treasury, says that this will almost certainly have to be on the first day of the year to coincide with the bank holiday, as occurred with the first wave of euro entrants.

ECONOMIST: Britain and the euro

As I indicated at the time, and repeated to Sir Alan Budd in my first interview, it highlighted wider policy implications, mainly that if delays of this kind were taking place universally we would fail to fulfil our commitment to reduce the backlog of applications subsequently.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Politics | Blunkett responds to two inquiries