This week, the Bank of England is expected to announce its strategy for releasing some of the £895 Billion ($1.1 Trillion) of stimulus that it has provided over the past decade.
These measures would speed up a historic tightening in monetary policy to stop the worst bouts of inflation in 40 years. Governor Andrew Bailey and his fellow governors have warned that prices could rise 11% this year. This is well above the 2% target.
The BOE will announce the first rate increase of half a point in 27 years
The UK central bank is also concerned about falling behind its peers, particularly the US Federal Reserve which increased rates by 1.5 points in each of its last two meetings. The BOE believes rate increases will also support the value of the Pound, which has fallen 10% this year against the dollar.
“The inflation picture is materially worsened and the message from Governor — 50 basis points on the table — suggests that they are ready for forceful,” stated Liz Martins, senior economist at HSBC bank Plc in London.
The 70% probability that the BOE’s benchmark interest rate will rise to 1.75% from its current level of 1.75 percent, which is the highest since 2009. Most economists see this move as likely, but some, such as Morgan Stanley and NatWest Markets, believe that a quarter of a point is more likely due to rising recession risks.
The decision will be made by noon on August 4.
This move will complicate the economic background of candidates who want to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister. The former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, Foreign Secretary, are trying to win members of the ruling Conservative Party. They have a package of measures that will help people deal with rising energy prices and their bills.
By increasing borrowing costs, the BOE’s rate increases are taking money from people’s pockets. The effective rate of interest on new mortgages increased to 2.15% in June according to figures released by the central bank. This is the highest level since late 2016 Since November, the rate has increased by 65 basis points.
The BOE raised rates five times in December. They have moved in quarter-point increments. British policymakers were prompted by the Fed’s actions, and a series of above-predicted UK inflation readings, to reconsider their gradual approach and to promise to “forcefully” act if necessary.
In February 1995, the BOE raised interest rates by 50 basis points. This was when the government decided the cost of borrowing under the guidance of the central bank. The “Ken and Eddie Show” was born from the meetings between Kenneth Clarke (the then chancellor) and Eddie George, BOE governor.
The fear at the time was that the economy would grow at an unsustainable rate. The GDP was growing at 4% per year, inflation had increased and business surveys indicated that wholesale prices were rising. Clarke had already announced half-point moves in September and December 1994.
The BOE will be moving further away from a decade of easy money to stimulate the economy through the financial crisis, and then the coronavirus epidemic. To keep financial markets from borrowing too much, the BOE purchased £895 billion in corporate and government bonds.
Bailey stated that details will be provided about how the BOE will dispose of a portion of the portfolio in the decision made this week. It stopped investing the proceeds from maturing assets in February. It is now considering active sales. Bailey stated that it could reach £50 billion to £100 trillion in the first year.
The rate increases and asset sales together represent a major shift away from the current easy money policy. They are intended to increase borrowing costs to normal levels. While investors are betting that the key rate will reach almost 3% in early 2023, economists are cautious.
Both think rates will rise if Truss is elected prime minister and fulfils her promise to reduce taxes by £30 billion.
It is also unusual for a bank to raise rates when the economy is at high risk of falling into recession. According to the International Monetary Fund, the UK could see the lowest growth among the Group of Seven industrial countries next year. This is despite having recovered from the pandemic faster than others.
The economy is facing headwinds due to the worst squeeze in consumer spending power for 20 years and Britain’s decision not to leave the European Union. This has reduced trade and robbed sectors such as hospitality and construction of foreign workers.
Despite recent signs indicating that there are decreasing labour shortages in the economy, many firms are still experiencing persistent labour shortages. Since Covid-19 was first published, nearly 400,000 people have left the workforce. This is due to an increase in long-term illness and early retirement.
Big pay increases are available for those who are willing to work, but they are not enough to keep up with inflation for anyone except the richest 10%.
The outlook is deteriorating, but the BOE is concerned about signs that inflation expectations are well above the 2% target. According to business surveys, executives anticipate strong inflation for many years. They plan to increase prices aggressively to protect their profit margins.
Kallum Pickering, economist at Berenberg, stated that “shortages are leading to production falls.” Retail sales are increasing in value but falling in output terms. This gap refers to both inflation and the difference in what people can and cannot consume.
