Bank of England — Monetary Policy Report (UK, 2019)

Monetary Policy Committee Monetary Policy Report November 2019 Monetary Policy Report November 2019 Monetary policy at the Bank of England The objectives of monetary policy The Bank s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets monetary policy to keep inflation low and stable, which supports growth and jobs. Subject to maintaining price stability, the MPC is also required to support the Government s economic policy. The Government has set the MPC a target for the 12-month increase in the Consumer Prices Index of 2%. The 2% inflation target is symmetric and applies at all times. The MPC s remit recognises, however, that the actual inflation rate will depart from its target as a result of shocks and disturbances, and that attempts to keep inflation at target in these circumstances may cause undesirable volatility in output. In exceptional circumstances, the appropriate horizon for returning inflation to target can vary. The MPC will communicate how and when it intends to return inflation to the target. The instruments of monetary policy The MPC currently uses two main monetary policy tools. First, we set the interest rate that banks and building societies earn on deposits, or  reserves , placed with the Bank of England   this is Bank Rate. Second, we can buy government and corporate bonds, financed by the issuance of central bank reserves   this is asset purchases or quantitative easing. The Monetary Policy Report The MPC is committed to clear, transparent communication. The Monetary Policy Report (MPR), previously the Inflation Report, is a key part of that. It allows the MPC to share its thinking and explain the reasons for its decisions. We have made some changes to the structure and content of the MPR. The main purpose of the document is still to set out the analysis behind the MPC s decision. The Report is produced quarterly by Bank staff under the guidance of the members of the MPC. Although not every member will agree with every assumption on which our projections are based, the central projections represent the MPC s best collective judgement about the most likely paths for inflation, output and unemployment. This Report has been prepared and published by the Bank of England in accordance with section 18 of the Bank of England Act 1998. The Monetary Policy Committee Mark Carney, Chair Ben Broadbent Jon Cunliffe Andrew Haldane Jonathan Haskel Dave Ramsden Michael Saunders Silvana Tenreyro Gertjan Vlieghe PowerPoint  versions of the Monetary Policy Report charts and Excel spreadsheets of the data underlying most of them are available at www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy-report/2019/november-2019   Bank of England 2019 ISSN 2514-4103 (Online) Contents Monetary Policy Summary 1 The economic outlook Recent developments The MPC s projections Key judgements and risks Constant rate projections 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Box 1 The MPC s conditioning assumption about the UK s eventual trading relationship with the EU Box 2 Monetary policy since the August Report 2 Current economic conditions 2.1 Global developments and financial conditions 2.2 Demand and output 2.3 Box 3 Agents  update on business conditions Supply, costs and prices 3 In focus Trade protectionism and the global outlook 3.1 How trade protectionism affects the economy 3.2 3.3 3.4 Recent developments in trade policy The impact of trade policy measures to date The impact on the MPC s forecasts 4 In focus Uncertainty and Brexit The impact of uncertainty on the economy The impact of Brexit on uncertainty 4.1 4.2 4.3 How has Brexit uncertainty affected the economy? 4.4 Uncertainty in the MPC s forecast Annex Other forecasters  expectations Glossary and other information i 1 1 2 7 9 11 14 15 16 19 22 30 32 33 33 35 37 38 39 39 40 43 44 45 Monetary Policy Report November 2019 Monetary Policy Summary i Monetary Policy Summary The Bank of England s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets monetary policy to meet the 2% inflation target, and in a way that helps to sustain growth and employment. At its meeting ending on 6 November 2019, the MPC voted by a majority of 7 2 to maintain Bank Rate at 0.75%. The Committee voted unanimously to maintain the stock of sterling non-financial investment-grade corporate bond purchases, financed by the issuance of central bank reserves, at  10 billion. The Committee also voted unanimously to maintain the stock of UK government bond purchases, financed by the issuance of central bank reserves, at  435 billion. The Committee s new projections for activity and inflation are set out in the accompanying November Monetary Policy Report. They are now based on the assumption of an orderly transition to a deep free trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Looking through Brexit-related volatility, underlying UK GDP growth has slowed materially this year and a small margin of excess supply has opened up. That slowdown reflects weaker global growth, driven by trade protectionism, and the domestic impact of Brexit-related uncertainties. In October, the UK and EU agreed a Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration as well as a flexible extension of Article 50. As a consequence, the perceived likelihood of a no-deal Brexit has fallen markedly and the sterling exchange rate has appreciated. These agreements are expected to remove some of the uncertainty facing businesses and households, and the MPC projects that UK GDP growth will pick up during 2020. This will be further supported by easier UK fiscal policy and a modest recovery in global growth. Over the remainder of the forecast period, demand growth is expected to outstrip the subdued pace of supply growth, which is restrained to some extent by the adjustment to new trading arrangements with the EU. Inflationary pressures are projected to lessen in the near term. CPI inflation remained at 1.7% in September and is expected to decline to around 1 % by the spring, owing to the temporary effect of falls in regulated energy and water prices. While unit labour costs have been growing at rates above those consistent with meeting the inflation target and core services CPI inflation has begun to increase somewhat, employment growth has slowed and pay growth is likely to fall back in the near term. In the second half of the MPC s forecast period, however, as a significant margin of excess demand emerges, domestic inflationary pressures are expected to build. Conditioned on current market yields, CPI inflation is projected to rise to slightly above 2% towards the end of the forecast period. Monetary policy could respond in either direction to changes in the economic outlook in order to ensure a sustainable return of inflation to the 2% target. The Committee will, among other factors, monitor closely the responses of companies and households to Brexit developments as well as the prospects for a recovery in global growth. If global growth fails to stabilise or if Brexit uncertainties remain entrenched, monetary policy may need to reinforce the expected recovery in UK GDP growth and inflation. Further ahead, provided these risks do not materialise and the economy recovers broadly in line with the MPC s latest projections, some modest tightening of policy, at a gradual pace and to a limited extent, may be needed to maintain inflation sustainably at the target. The MPC judges at this meeting that the existing stance of monetary policy is appropriate. Monetary Policy Report November 2019 Section 1 The economic outlook 1 1 The economic outlook Underlying UK GDP growth slowed materially in 2019 as weaker global growth and Brexit-related uncertainties weighed on spending. Weaker world growth has been partly driven by trade protectionism and an associated rise in global uncertainty. The MPC judges that UK growth has slowed to below-potential rates. As a result, the economy now has a modest amount of slack, which persists in the first part of the forecast. In October, the UK and EU agreed a Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration, the UK House of Commons approved the second reading of the Bill that translates the agreement into law, and the UK and EU agreed a flexible extension of Article 50. Sterling has appreciated markedly as the perceived probability of a no-deal Brexit has reduced. These developments are also likely to remove some of the uncertainty that has been facing businesses and households. Reflecting government policy, the MPC s projections are now conditioned on the assumption that the UK moves to a deep free trade agreement with the EU. They are also conditioned on the current market path for interest rates, which projects that Bank Rate will be below its current level over the forecast period. Under those assumptions, UK demand is projected to recover and to grow faster than the subdued pace of supply growth. This recovery reflects the assumed reduction in the uncertainty facing businesses and households, more supportive fiscal policy and a gradual pickup in global growth. As a result, excess demand and domestic price pressures build gradually. CPI inflation declines further below 2% in the near term because of falls in energy prices and water bills, but rises to the target in the second year, and slightly above it towards the end of the forecast period. 1.1 Recent developments Underlying UK GDP growth has slowed materially over the past year. While UK GDP growth has been volatile this year because of Brexit-related factors, underlying activity has weakened (Section 2). Quarterly growth over 2019 as a whole is expected to have averaged only 0.2%, roughly half the average in the previous three years and below the MPC s assessment of the economy s potential rate of growth. That slowing has been driven partly by weakening global growth