Monetary Policy

UK economy grows by more than expected 0.7% in Q1

The UK economy performed better than expected in the first quarter of the year, with GDP growing by 0.7% between January and March, following a 0.1% rise the prior quarter. This was ahead of analysts’ expectations, who had forecast a growth of 0.6% for the period. According to the Office…

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BoE cuts interest rates to 4.25%

The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates to 4.25%, down from the previous rate of 4.5%, marking the fourth rate cut since last year’s peak of 5.25%. At its meeting ending on 7 May, the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 5–4 to reduce…

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Inflation falls more than expected to 2.6% in March

Inflation has fallen more than expected to 2.6% in the 12 months to March 2025, down from the 2.8% rise in February, driven largely by a fall in petrol prices. According to the ONS, the largest downward contributions came from recreation and culture and motor fuels, with a further large…

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BoE holds interest rates at 4.5%

The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.5%, having cut the rate last month to its lowest level since June 2023. At its meeting ending on 19 March, the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 8–1 to maintain the rate at…

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BoE cuts interest rates to 4.5%

The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to cut interest rates from 4.75% to 4.5%, the lowest level since June 2023, but warned that GDP growth has been “weaker than expected”. At its meeting this week, the bank’s monetary policy committee voted by a majority of 7–2 to reduce the…

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BoE holds interest rates at 4.75%

The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.75%, following a recent hike in both inflation and wage growth. At its meeting this week, the bank’s monetary policy committee voted by a majority of 6–3 to maintain the current rate. Three members voted to reduce interest rates…

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BoE holds interest rates at 5%

The Bank of England (BoE) has decided to hold interest rates at 5% this month, having lowered them for the first time in four years in August. The bank voted by a majority of 8-1 to keep the rate the same in a bid to help “sustain growth and employment”.…

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Today’s news in brief-18/9/24

UK inflation held steady at 2.2% in August, unchanged from July and slightly above the Bank of England’s 2% target. The stability came despite falling food and energy prices, offset by a 1.2% rise in transport costs, driven notably by a 22.2% increase in air fares. Clothing and retail prices…

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Inflation holds steady at 2.2% in August

The rate of inflation remained steady at 2.2% in August, unchanged since July, yet is still above the Bank of England’s target of 2%.Although food and energy prices continued to fall over the month, this was in part offset by transport, where prices rose by 1.2% in the month. This…

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BoE cuts interest rates for first time in 4 years

The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates for the first time in four years, with the rate falling to 5%. The bank voted by a majority of 5–4 to reduce the rate by 0.25 percentage points to 5%, marking the first fall in inflation since March 2020, where…

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