The role of the Bank of England - Part 2: Prices and the value of your money

Why low inflation and a safe and stable financial system matter to the UK economy and how the Bank contributes to achieving them.

The role of the Bank of England - Part 1: Money

Keeping on an even keel: the role of the Bank of England is a short film that uses nautical metaphors and animation to explain the Bank's roles and responsibilities in an accessible, imaginative and entertaining way.

The film is divided into seven short modules, which provide a simple guide to the Bank's monetary policy and financial stability roles. They explain why low inflation and a safe and stable financial system matter to the UK economy and how the Bank contributes to achieving them.

Part 1 looks at money.

Bank of England says it will map out move to Libor alternative in 2016

From Reuters –

“The Bank of England will spell out next year how markets can migrate to a new "risk-free" interest rate benchmark after banks were fined billions of dollars for trying to rig Libor, the existing benchmark, a senior BoE official said on Wednesday.

Chris Salmon, the BoE's executive director for markets, said Libor, or the London Interbank Offered Rate, a benchmark for interest rates that banks charge each other, remains too prevalent.

Formerly overseen by the British Bankers' Association (BBA), Libor rates have come under scrutiny after a number of traders were accused of colluding to rig the rate. The rates are calculated through an "honor system" in which a panel of banks report their estimated costs of borrowing from each other in different currencies over differing periods.”

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Bank of England and the Changing Face of Central Banking

From Forbes –

“The Labour Party has announced that it would review the mandate of the Bank of England with an eye to adding to its objective so that the British central bank doesn’t just target inflation, but also employment and economic growth, if it gets into power in 2020. The Shadow Chancellor John O’Donnell has given the assurance that it wouldn’t affect the independence of the BOE, which has been one of the key factors that has increased the credibility of central banks since the early 1990s.

But, it is worth refreshing the objectives of central banks, especially as key relationship among monetary policy variables have changed alongside the structure of the economy.”

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