Britain looks for new head of independent budget watchdog

LONDON - Britain's finance ministry said on Thursday it had begun to look for a successor to Robert Chote, the head of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, which publishes forecasts for the economy and the public finances.

"Finding the right candidate to lead the OBR and build on the significant progress of the last 10 years is vital for maintaining the credibility of the UK's fiscal framework and our status as a world leader in fiscal transparency," finance minister Sajid Javid said in a statement.

Chote's term as chair of the OBR is due to end in October.

(Reporting by Andy Bruce; Editing by Alex Richardson) ((andy.bruce@thomsonreuters.com; +442075423484; Reuters Messaging: andy.bruce.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))