Interest rates- live: Bank of England under pressure to cut rates as mortgage costs rise

UK borrowers eager for costs to come down may have to wait a little longer before interest rates take a dip. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which sets the level of UK interest rates, will announce its latest decision on Thursday. However, economists are widely expecting the committee to keep rates at the current level of 5.25 per cent, which it has been held at since August last year. This means that there could still be some time before the pressure of the cost of living begins to ease. Interest rates are used as a tool to help bring down UK inflation, which has fallen sharply from the highs hit in 2022 when energy costs spiked and the cost-of-living crisis was at its peak. The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation fell to 3.2 per cent in March, according to the latest official figures. But experts suggested that two key economic indicators for the Bank of England – pay growth and services sector inflation – have remained more stubborn. 15:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Interest rates are used as a tool to help bring down UK inflation, which has fallen sharply from the highs hit in 2022...

Read more