‘Door is open’ to interest rate hike as inflation fears return Economics An interest rate hike by the Bank of England this year is back on the cards as fears of continued oil and gas trade disruption across the Strait of Hormuz could push inflation higher, according to City economists. A spike in oil prices to levels seen during the Iran war has dampened the mood across [...]
IMF warns Bank of England against cutting interest rates Economics The Bank of England must keep interest rates on hold for as long as risks from the Iran war persist, the International Monetary Fund has said. In its annual temperature check of Britain’s economic outlook, the fund warned rate setters to keep monetary policy “sufficiently restrictive” to avoid sparking a painful bout of inflation that [...]
Bank of England warns Burnham of UK economy’s ‘big issue’ Economics The Bank of England has warned Andy Burnham that economic growth remains the “big issue” facing the UK economy as he prepares to take the keys to Number 10. Andrew Bailey, the central bank governor, told policymakers on Tuesday that the UK has had “low growth for the best part of 16 to 17 years”. [...]
Interest rate cut is ‘off the table’, says Bank of England governor July 2, 2026 Andrew Bailey has said cutting interest rates is “off the table at the moment” in the clearest sign yet borrowing costs are likely to stay elevated for the rest of the year. The Bank of England governor said on a panel at the European Central Bank’s annual conference in Portugal that inflationary pressures following the [...]
Bank of England chief economist ‘not trying to be a troublemaker’ on rates split June 29, 2026 The Bank of England’s chief economist has warned fellow policymakers over the risk of becoming “complacent” towards the cost of living as he defends his recent calls to hike interest rates. Huw Pill, a member of the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee, has voted twice to increase rates to 4 per cent in the committee’s [...]
Bank of England to ‘tolerate slow return’ to inflation target as interest rates held June 18, 2026 The Bank of England has said it will tolerate a delay in getting inflation back to its two per cent target as it held interest rates at 3.75 per cent in a split Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decision. Bank officials said they were closely monitoring the outcome of a peace deal being struck between the [...]
As it happened: Stocks sink after Fed and Bank of England opt for hawkish hold; Oil price tumbles June 18, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Interest rates were left unchanged at 3.75 per cent in Bank of England’s monetary policy committee meeting today as rate-setters wait to find out whether the Iran war peace deal holds up. The Bank’s decision followed Thursday’s inflation data, which stayed below undershot expectations after coming at 2.8 [...]
Interest rates next change ‘far more likely down than up’ June 18, 2026 Interest rates are set to be held on Thursday in what some analysts believe could be a split decision as two Bank of England officials could back a 25 basis point hike. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at 3.75 per cent, though some members could back a [...]
Bank of England should hold interest rates, City AM Shadow MPC says June 16, 2026 The Bank of England should hold interest rates as inflation could stay above three per cent for several months, top economists have said. City AM’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee, a group of leading economists who have provided responses independently of their respective organisations, said interest rates should be kept at 3.75 per cent. Economists warned [...]
Interest rates set to be held as inflation to remain ‘elevated’ despite Iran peace deal June 15, 2026 Interest rates are expected to be left unchanged as Bank of England policymakers wait to find out whether the Iran war peace deal holds up. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is set to keep interest rates at 3.75 per cent at a decision later this week. Its decision would suggest that the Bank is [...]