BoE maintains Bank Rate at 0.75%

The Bank of England (BoE) announced its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 7-2 to maintain Bank Rate at 0.75 percent at its December meeting.

The MPC also voted unanimously to maintain the corporate bond purchases at £10 billion and UK government bond purchases at £435 billion.

In its statement, the BoE notes:

• Its projections for activity and inflation were set out in the November Monetary Policy Report and were based on the assumption of an orderly transition to a deep free trade agreement between the UK and the UE
• UK GDP growth was projected to pick up from current below-potential rates, supported by the reduction of Brexit-related uncertainties, an easing of fiscal policy and a modest recovery in global growth
• CPI inflation was projected to rise to slightly above the 2% target towards the end of the forecast period
• UK GDP increased by 0.3% in 2019 Q3 and is expected to rise only marginally in Q4
• Since the November Report, the GBP exchange rate has appreciated by 2% and UK-focused equities have outperformed their international counterparts
• There is no evidence yet about the extent to which policy uncertainties among companies and households have declined
• There continue to be some signs that the labour market is loosening, although it remains tight
• CPI inflation remained at 1.5% in November and core CPI inflation remained at 1.7%, broadly as expected. The headline rate is still expected to fall to around 1¼% by the spring, owing to the temporary effects of falls in regulated energy and water prices
• Monetary policy could respond in either direction to changes in the economic outlook in order to ensure a sustainable return of inflation to the 2% target
• The Committee will, among other factors, continue to monitor closely the responses of companies and households to Brexit developments as well as the prospects for a recovery in global growth
• If global growth fails to stabilize or if Brexit uncertainties remain entrenched, monetary policy may need to reinforce the expected recovery in UK GDP growth and inflation
• Further ahead, provided these risks do not materialize and the economy recovers broadly in line with the MPC's latest projections, some modest tightening of policy, at a gradual pace and to a limited extent, may be needed to maintain inflation sustainably at the target.