Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 18 JANUARY 2011

Economic Update – MPC Should Resist Pressure To Raise Rates

Pressure is mounting on the MPC to raise interest rates in order to preserve its credibility in the face of above-target and rising inflation.

United KingdomStrategy
Roger Bootle, Economic Adviser, Deloitte
Roger Bootle, Economic Adviser, Deloitte
Author LinkedIn connections
  • Pressure is mounting on the MPC to raise interest rates in order to preserve its credibility in the face of above-target and rising inflation. However, I continue to think that the rise in inflation will be temporary and believe that interest rates need to stay low if the economy is to stand any chance of weathering the enormous fiscal tightening.
  • Admittedly, the near-term outlook for inflation has worsened further over the past month. Oil prices have reached $95pb, wholesale gas prices have risen further and agricultural prices have reached new peaks. Accordingly, CPI inflation looks likely to get close to 4% over the next few months, if not higher.
  • The MPC is understandably anxious that this will push up inflation expectations and hence wage growth. But evidence of a serious rise in long-term inflation expectations remains thin. What's more, at a time when unemployment is 2.5m and likely to rise further as the public sector headcount falls, I doubt that wage

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

See more popular content from