Bank was split over rate rise
February 22, 2007 by admin
Filed under News, News-Loans
The recent freezing of interest rates caused a split within the Bank of England, with two Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members voting in favour of a rise.
Minutes of the meeting in February have revealed that the vote was split 7-2 in favour of freezing rates but the divide means that the future for borrowers remains uncertain.
Those with a mortgage, credit card or loan could still see interest rates rise, with many people likely to suffer as a result if they do not have the financial clout to withstand another increase.
MPC members decided to wait and see what effect the previous three rate rises would have before moving ahead with another.
“It would take some time for the full effects of the past tightening to be seen. It was difficult to judge whether, and if so by how much, policy might need to be further tightened to keep inflation on track to meet the target,” the minutes read.
The previous rises came in quick succession, with rates jumping from 4.5 per cent in August to 5.25 per cent in January.
It appears that interest rates are likely to rise again in the coming months as the MPC attempts to bring down inflation which is currently running well above the government’s target of two per cent.


