Highlights: 

• It is probable that this will be the Bank of England’s seventh consecutive rate rise and the largest increase ever since 1992.
• In June, consumer inflation in England reached a 40-year high of 9.4%, which is more than four times the Bank of England’s objective of 2%.
• People are concerned that Putin’s efforts to weaponize the gas supply would result in even greater levels of inflation.

After announcing the largest increase in interest rates in well over 30 years in an effort to combat skyrocketing inflation, the central bank of the United Kingdom issued a warning that the nation faced the possibility of a protracted and excruciating recession.

On Thursday, the Bank of England increased interest rates to their highest level in 27 years and forewarned of a protracted recession looming over the nation as inflation is expected to spill over 13%. This was the first time that interest rates have been hiked since 1991. Since December, the British Central Bank has increased interest rates a total of six times; however, Thursday’s increase was the most significant since the year 1992.

The decision made by the Bank of England (BoE) on Thursday to raise its benchmark rate to 3% up from 2.25%, was a direct response to the fact that consumer price inflation reached a level that was higher than it had been in September in more than 3 decades.

UK interest rate rises to 3%, up from 2.25% – the biggest single increase for 33 years https://t.co/Rs9E8Iiees

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) November 3, 2022

The bank additionally stated that the economy of the United Kingdom has indeed reached a recession, which might endure for two years, which is even longer compared to the financial crisis that occurred in 2008-2009.

Two of the decision-makers, Silvana Tenreyro and Swati Dhingra, voted in favor of a rise in the federal funds rate of 0.25 and 0.5 percentage points, respectively, rather than the full increase.

However, seven out of the nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee agreed that interest rates needed to increase even further, although they agreed that the increase should not be as high as the 5.2 percent that was already factored into the capital markets when the Bank of England completed its forecasts.

The Bank of England (BoE) issued a statement indicating that more rises in bank rates may be necessary for a sustained comeback of inflation to target, although to a maximum that is lower than what is anticipated in financial markets. The council remains committed to the view that it will react decisively as required if it believes that the forecast indicates the presence of more prolonged inflationary pressures.

The decision regarding the interest rate represents the first made because the authority of former Prime Minister Liz Truss revealed underfunded tax cuts totaling 45 billion pounds ($50.2 billion). These tax cuts caused chaos in the financial system, drove up mortgage costs, and caused a constitutional deadlock that compelled Truss out of office after only 6 weeks into the position.

In an effort to repair the damage and demonstrate that the United Kingdom is serious about meeting its financial obligations, her successor, Rishi Sunak, has threatened to reduce expenditures and raise taxes.