Two MPC members vote for a quarter-point rise but Bank argues rapid reaction risks creating volatility

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The Bank of England has left interest rates on hold, arguing that reacting too quickly to inflation threats risked creating “undesirable volatility”, as the Iran war weighs on the UK economy.

Seven of the nine-person monetary policy committee voted to keep rates at 3.75% as the MPC weighed the threat of higher inflation against the prospect of an economic slowdown.