Bank of England
The Bank of England plays a key role in the UK jewellery industry through its influence on interest rates, inflation, currency strength, and economic policy. These factors directly impact consumer spending, raw material costs, financing, and price strategies for jewellers and suppliers. Jewellery Focus provides expert coverage of the Bank’s announcements, economic forecasts, monetary policy decisions, and their implications for trade confidence, sourcing expenses, and retail performance. Our reporting helps UK jewellery professionals plan strategically and adapt to shifting macroeconomic conditions.
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Aug- 2025 -14 AugustEconomy
UK quarterly GDP beats expectations despite slowdown
UK GDP grew 0.3% in the three months to June, behind the 0.7% it grew in the first quarter, as a result of US tariffs and higher business costs, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, it is better than expected growth as economists polled by…
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7 AugustNews
BoE cuts interest rates to 4%
The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates to 4%, down from the previous rate of 4.25%, marking the fifth rate cut since last year’s peak of 5.25%. At its meeting today (7 August), the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 5 to 4 to…
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May- 2025 -8 MayNews
BoE cuts interest rates to 4.25%
The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates to 4.25%, down from the previous rate of 4.5%, marking the fourth rate cut since last year’s peak of 5.25%. At its meeting ending on 7 May, the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 5–4 to reduce…
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Mar- 2025 -20 MarchCurrent Affairs
BoE holds interest rates at 4.5%
The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.5%, having cut the rate last month to its lowest level since June 2023. At its meeting ending on 19 March, the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 8–1 to maintain the rate at…
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Feb- 2025 -6 FebruaryEconomy
BoE cuts interest rates to 4.5%
The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to cut interest rates from 4.75% to 4.5%, the lowest level since June 2023, but warned that GDP growth has been “weaker than expected”. At its meeting this week, the bank’s monetary policy committee voted by a majority of 7–2 to reduce the…
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Dec- 2024 -19 DecemberEconomy
BoE holds interest rates at 4.75%
The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.75%, following a recent hike in both inflation and wage growth. At its meeting this week, the bank’s monetary policy committee voted by a majority of 6–3 to maintain the current rate. Three members voted to reduce interest…
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Nov- 2024 -7 NovemberNews
Bank of England cuts interest rates to 4.75%
The Bank of England has cut interest rates for the second time this year, with rates now cut to 4.75%. The bank voted by a majority of 8–1 to reduce Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.75%. One member preferred to maintain the previous rate of 5%. It had…
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Sep- 2024 -19 SeptemberNews
BoE holds interest rates at 5%
The Bank of England (BoE) has decided to hold interest rates at 5% this month, having lowered them for the first time in four years in August. The bank voted by a majority of 8-1 to keep the rate the same in a bid to help “sustain growth and employment”.…
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Aug- 2024 -1 AugustNews
BoE cuts interest rates for first time in 4 years
The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates for the first time in four years, with the rate falling to 5%. The bank voted by a majority of 5–4 to reduce the rate by 0.25 percentage points to 5%, marking the first fall in inflation since March 2020, where…
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Jun- 2024 -20 JuneEconomy
BoE holds interest rates for 7th consecutive month
Interest rates have remained unchanged at 5.25% for the seventh consecutive month, the Bank of England has announced. The bank’s MPC voted by a majority of 7–2 to maintain the rate, despite inflation hitting its target and falling to 2% in May. UK inflation hit its target for the first time…
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