Bank of England reduces interest rates by 0.25% to 5.0%

The Committee reviewed monetary and economic developments in the context of the projections to be published in the August Inflation Report. Indicators of world economic activity have been weaker than expected over the past few months. This and the persistent strength of sterling are adding to the pressures on the externally exposed sectors of the UK economy, and at the same time there are signs of weakening investment growth. By contrast, retail spending, household borrowing and the housing market are still robust, partly supported by recent reductions in interest rates. On balance, the outlook, although highly uncertain, is for aggregate demand and output growth to be weaker than previously projected.

Press release