Phil Aldrick

A consumption-driven recovery in the UK could set off a renewed bout of inflation, but more interest rate cuts are likely as prices are “moving in the right direction,” Bank of England policymaker Megan Greene said.

With UK public services failing due to years of under-investment and the tax burden already at a post-World War II high, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has warned she faces “tough decisions” to balance the nation’s finances.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will have to increase borrowing by about £25 billion ($32.5 billion) in the budget to bridge the UK’s investment gap, a fiscal expansion that could slow Bank of England interest rate cuts, according to analysis by Bloomberg Economics.

The Bank of England cut borrowing costs for the second time this year, but stopped short of signaling faster easing, warning that last week’s budget could drive up inflation by as much as half a percentage point.

The increase in UK borrowing costs since last week’s budget has wiped out all of Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ headroom against her main fiscal rule, raising the prospect of further tax rises or spending cuts unless the debt picture changes.

The UK’s fiscal watchdog has accused Treasury civil servants of breaking the law by withholding information before the March budget, raising the stakes in a blame game over who was responsible for hiding a multi-billion pound shortfall.

The Bank of England can cut borrowing costs five more times to 3.5% before it runs the risk of overheating the economy and reigniting inflation, according to Bloomberg Economics.

The Bank of England will hide the identities of any pension funds, insurers or hedge funds bailed out under a new financial stability tool to prevent a wider crisis engulfing the economy, Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden said.

Britain has a data problem that is raising fears of policy mis-steps at a critical juncture for the UK economy.

Bank of England policymaker Swati Dhingra warned that high interest rates are bearing down too heavily on the economy by curbing consumer spending and business investment.