The Bank of England has decided to keep the interest rate at 4.5%. According to the regulator's statement, this decision was made by a majority vote of the members of the Monetary Policy Committee. Of the 9 participants, 8 supported maintaining the current rate, while 1 favored reducing it by 0.25 percentage points to 4.25%. The regulator also noted the growing uncertainty in global trade after the previous meeting. The United States has announced a number of new tariffs, prompting retaliatory measures from some countries. In addition, other geopolitical risks have increased, against the background of which there is an increase in volatility in global financial markets. In the UK, annual inflation rose to 3.0% in January from 2.5% in December, exceeding expectations. Despite a slight decrease in global energy prices, their current level remains higher than last year. Inflation is projected to reach about 3.75% in the third quarter of 2025. Although it is still expected to decrease in the future, the regulator stressed the importance of monitoring possible prolonged inflationary pressures. Taking these factors into account, at the last meeting it was decided to keep the bank rate at 4.5%.
