The Los Angeles Post
U.S. World Business Lifestyle
Today: March 19, 2025
Today: March 19, 2025

UK inflation hump unlikely to lead to long-term price pressures, BoE's Mann says

Economist and member of the Bank Of England's Monetary Policy Committee Catherine Mann poses for a photograph ahead of a speech at Manchester Business School in Manchester
March 06, 2025
Suban Abdulla - Reuters

By Suban Abdulla

LONDON (Reuters) -Bank of England policymaker Catherine Mann said on Thursday a pick up in inflation was unlikely to lead to longer-term price problems in Britain's economy, and that global volatility had weakened the case for a gradual approach to cutting rates.

"I judged that wage and price setters are more likely to have to absorb the inflation hump rather than pass it through," Mann said in the text of a speech at a Reserve Bank of New Zealand research conference.

UK inflation hump unlikely to lead to long-term price pressures, BoE's Mann says
Shoppers walk on Oxford Street in London

The Bank of England forecasts British consumer price inflation will rise to around 3.7% in the third quarter of this year from 3% currently due to one-off effects from higher regulated energy prices, water bills and bus fares.

Mann said she still believed monetary policy should remain restrictive.

She said a gradualist approach to cutting rates of the type preferred by the majority of BoE policymakers was no longer necessary due to recent volatility in global markets.

Mann said an initial impetus for central banks to adopt gradualism was to avoid causing outsize moves in bond markets.

But bond prices have swung sharply in recent months due to investor uncertainty about the economic plans of U.S. President Donald Trump and other countries' response, including a 500 billion euro spending package mooted by Germany's main parties this week.

"In short, international spillovers have dominated the signals from UK domestic data and monetary policy actions," Mann said.

"With substantial volatility coming from financial markets, especially from cross-border spillovers, the founding premise for a gradualist approach to monetary policy is no longer valid."

Mann - an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee and previously seen as its most hawkish voice - was one of two members who in February voted to cut interest rates by a half point rather than with the majority for a lesser quarter-point reduction.

The BoE is expected to hold interest rates unchanged at 4.5% at its next meeting on March 20, and investors are pricing in around two further quarter-point cuts in interest rates over the remainder of this year.

(Reporting by Suban Abdulla; editing by William Schomberg and David Milliken)

Related

Business|Finance|Stock Markets|US

Investors hopeful Wells Fargo asset cap will be removed in 2025

Business|Science|Technology

Nvidia CEO: Humanoid robot revolution is closer than you think

Business|Economy|Finance|Political|Stock Markets|US

US political brinkmanship undermines Treasuries' safe-haven status

Business|Economy|Finance|Stock Markets|US

Futures edge higher as investors await Fed decision

Local

Local|News

Survey reveals Gen Z experiences burnout earlier

Local|Crime|News

LAPD reports drop in homicides, other crimes for 2024

Lifestyle|Local

Holi celebrations in Los Angeles this weekend

Local|Lifestyle|News|WrittenByLAPost

Los Angeles Marathon to take place Sunday

Share This

Popular

Business|Finance|Stock Markets|US

Investors hopeful Wells Fargo asset cap will be removed in 2025

Investors hopeful Wells Fargo asset cap will be removed in 2025
Business|Science|Technology

Nvidia CEO: Humanoid robot revolution is closer than you think

Nvidia CEO: Humanoid robot revolution is closer than you think
Business|Economy|Finance|Political|Stock Markets|US

US political brinkmanship undermines Treasuries' safe-haven status

US political brinkmanship undermines Treasuries' safe-haven status
Business|Economy|Finance|Stock Markets|US

Futures edge higher as investors await Fed decision

Futures edge higher as investors await Fed decision

Political

Crime|Europe|Political|US|World

Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy to speak with Trump after US president's ceasefire talks with Putin

Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy to speak with Trump after US president's ceasefire talks with Putin
Europe|Political|World

Ukraine and Russia exchange attacks overnight, hours after Trump-Putin call

Ukraine and Russia exchange attacks overnight, hours after Trump-Putin call
Business|Economy|Finance|Political|Stock Markets|US

It took the Fed years to bring down inflation. Then came Trumpโ€™s trade war

It took the Fed years to bring down inflation. Then came Trumpโ€™s trade war
MidEast|Political|World

Middle East latest: Far-right party leader returns to Netanyahu's Cabinet after strikes pummel Gaza

Middle East latest: Far-right party leader returns to Netanyahu's Cabinet after strikes pummel Gaza

Access this article for free.

Already have an account? Sign In