https://www.scmp.com/rss/523644/feed The latest news and top stories on the Bank of England. A prominent London-based central bank, the Bank of England is dedicated to maintaining monetary and financial stability in the United Kingdom. Its main areas of focus include setting interest rates to control inflation, issuing banknotes for England and Wales and regulating financial institutions. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to chair an emergency meeting ⁠on the economic fallout from the ⁠war in Iran on Monday, with Finance Minister Rachel ⁠Reeves and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, the government said. Investors are bracing for another stormy week in financial markets after Iran said it would strike the energy and water systems of Gulf neighbours if US President Donald Trump follows through with a threat to hit Iran’s electricity grid. Britain is watching with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347516/uks-starmer-calls-emergency-meeting-economy-iran-war-risks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347516/uks-starmer-calls-emergency-meeting-economy-iran-war-risks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:43:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters British finance minister Rachel Reeves on Sunday denied she misled the public over official forecasts ahead last week’s budget, saying she had been honest about the need to build up a bigger financial buffer. In a speech on November 4, Reeves appeared to lay the groundwork to break the Labour Party’s promise to voters before the 2024 election and raise income tax rates, citing a “weaker than previously thought” productivity performance. In a letter published on Friday, the head of Britain’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334693/uks-rachel-reeves-says-she-did-not-mislead-public-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334693/uks-rachel-reeves-says-she-did-not-mislead-public-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:39:10 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Price inflation in British shops rose to its highest level in 19 months, as consumers pay at the checkout for a slew of new taxes that have ramped up retailers’ costs. The rate of inflation grew to 1.4 per cent in September from a year earlier, an acceleration from August, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said on Tuesday. DIY and gardening products saw price rises while back-to-school items including laptops were reduced. Retailers are battling with ballooning costs as a result of tax and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327304/uk-shoppers-feel-pinch-prices-hit-19-month-high-fuelling-inflation-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327304/uk-shoppers-feel-pinch-prices-hit-19-month-high-fuelling-inflation-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 01:26:30 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng Central bankers are sometimes known as the high priests of finance. That is because they control high-powered money, commonly known as the monetary base, or the sum of currency in circulation plus commercial bank deposits with them. By buying government bonds from banks or the market, which expands central bank balance sheets, the commercial banks’ reserves rise, improving market liquidity and therefore reducing short-term interest rates. In effect, central banks affect market sentiment by... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3323585/markets-can-see-whos-calling-shots-us-rates-and-its-not-fed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3323585/markets-can-see-whos-calling-shots-us-rates-and-its-not-fed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:30:07 +0000