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Prashant Kotak
Prashant Kotak
9 months ago

It is in the nature of the beast, that it always, always, overreacts. But you must forgive them, they cannot help their nature, because they are economists. Yes, either forgive them, or if feasible, put them all on a rocket to Mars with no fuel for a return.

Pulling on interest rates is like pulling on a large and heavy brick with a rubber-band. For a long time nothing at all seems to be happening, but the tension is ratcheting up. Then, just when all those economists at the BoE expect the brick to slowly start creeping towards them, it will instead zing through the air, and smash them on the head. And, having thus suffered concussion, they will of course promptly forget the results of their last actions, and so of course will repeat them.

James Watson
James Watson
9 months ago
Reply to  Prashant Kotak

Bravo!

James Watson
James Watson
9 months ago
Reply to  Prashant Kotak

Bravo!

Prashant Kotak
Prashant Kotak
9 months ago

It is in the nature of the beast, that it always, always, overreacts. But you must forgive them, they cannot help their nature, because they are economists. Yes, either forgive them, or if feasible, put them all on a rocket to Mars with no fuel for a return.

Pulling on interest rates is like pulling on a large and heavy brick with a rubber-band. For a long time nothing at all seems to be happening, but the tension is ratcheting up. Then, just when all those economists at the BoE expect the brick to slowly start creeping towards them, it will instead zing through the air, and smash them on the head. And, having thus suffered concussion, they will of course promptly forget the results of their last actions, and so of course will repeat them.

Billy Bob
Billy Bob
9 months ago

40 years of neglectful energy policy is coming home to roost. The UK should have more than enough coal, gas and oil to see them through the peaks and troughs of global energy prices, instead they farmed everything out to the markets for a short term hit

Billy Bob
Billy Bob
9 months ago

40 years of neglectful energy policy is coming home to roost. The UK should have more than enough coal, gas and oil to see them through the peaks and troughs of global energy prices, instead they farmed everything out to the markets for a short term hit

Dougie Undersub
Dougie Undersub
9 months ago

Raising interest rates again is precisely the wrong thing to do. Producer prices are already falling sharply across the globe and the impact will arrive with the consumer in 2-3 months.

Jon Nash
Jon Nash
9 months ago

Exactly. The effect of interest rate rises is felt in 12 to 18 months, at which point our problem is more likely to be deflationn and stagnation. Bailey does not seem to have much of a grip.

Billy Bob
Billy Bob
9 months ago
Reply to  Jon Nash

I’ve always wondered why instead of interest rates which predominantly hurt the young (either renters who will see their rent jacked up by an over leveraged landlord, or families who’ve had to take out a colossal mortgage to buy a family home), the government couldn’t instead have a seperate floating tax rate to combat inflation.
If inflation is caused by too much money in the system chasing too few good, then surely removing it via taxation would have the same effect as giving it to the banks?
The money raised could be put aside to pay for future pension and end of life costs, and at least thus way the pain is shared much more equally throughout society

Jules Anjim
Jules Anjim
9 months ago
Reply to  Billy Bob

If your currency wasn’t free floating then maybe (if you had politicians willing to take the flak), but central bankers are also battling other central banks and currency traders. Plus – get yourself out of your own mess kids, you’ll be better for it. Globalisation, free-market, liberalism, kind of stuff.

Jules Anjim
Jules Anjim
9 months ago
Reply to  Billy Bob

If your currency wasn’t free floating then maybe (if you had politicians willing to take the flak), but central bankers are also battling other central banks and currency traders. Plus – get yourself out of your own mess kids, you’ll be better for it. Globalisation, free-market, liberalism, kind of stuff.

Simon S
Simon S
9 months ago
Reply to  Jon Nash

But he has Bernanke advising him now so we”ll be ok

Billy Bob
Billy Bob
9 months ago
Reply to  Jon Nash

I’ve always wondered why instead of interest rates which predominantly hurt the young (either renters who will see their rent jacked up by an over leveraged landlord, or families who’ve had to take out a colossal mortgage to buy a family home), the government couldn’t instead have a seperate floating tax rate to combat inflation.
If inflation is caused by too much money in the system chasing too few good, then surely removing it via taxation would have the same effect as giving it to the banks?
The money raised could be put aside to pay for future pension and end of life costs, and at least thus way the pain is shared much more equally throughout society

Simon S
Simon S
9 months ago
Reply to  Jon Nash

But he has Bernanke advising him now so we”ll be ok

Jon Nash
Jon Nash
9 months ago

Exactly. The effect of interest rate rises is felt in 12 to 18 months, at which point our problem is more likely to be deflationn and stagnation. Bailey does not seem to have much of a grip.

Dougie Undersub
Dougie Undersub
9 months ago

Raising interest rates again is precisely the wrong thing to do. Producer prices are already falling sharply across the globe and the impact will arrive with the consumer in 2-3 months.

David Lindsay
David Lindsay
9 months ago

Up goes your mortgage, or your landlord’s mortgage. Up goes the rent or the mortgage on the shop where you and your landlord alike buy your food. And into recession we go, so that Rishi Sunak can claim to have beaten it in time for a General Election late next year. Via a deniable procedure that was put in place by the last Labour Government without a manifesto commitment. And backed to the hilt by an Official Opposition with no economic policy of its own.

David Lindsay
David Lindsay
9 months ago

Up goes your mortgage, or your landlord’s mortgage. Up goes the rent or the mortgage on the shop where you and your landlord alike buy your food. And into recession we go, so that Rishi Sunak can claim to have beaten it in time for a General Election late next year. Via a deniable procedure that was put in place by the last Labour Government without a manifesto commitment. And backed to the hilt by an Official Opposition with no economic policy of its own.

j watson
j watson
9 months ago

Often forgotten Govt has fiscal and other policy options it can use too. This idea it’s just BoE and their Interest rate policy available to tackle inflation and reduce demand in the economy a mythology conveniently promulgated.

As article notes whilst Ukraine War been a factor this Govt had put the UK economy into a v vulnerable, and in some instances ‘unique’’ position already. Blaming BoE a useful shield but 13years policy failure the real reason Uk position much worse than it should be.

j watson
j watson
9 months ago

Often forgotten Govt has fiscal and other policy options it can use too. This idea it’s just BoE and their Interest rate policy available to tackle inflation and reduce demand in the economy a mythology conveniently promulgated.

As article notes whilst Ukraine War been a factor this Govt had put the UK economy into a v vulnerable, and in some instances ‘unique’’ position already. Blaming BoE a useful shield but 13years policy failure the real reason Uk position much worse than it should be.

Brian Villanueva
Brian Villanueva
9 months ago

When the US Federal Reserve was originally constituted, there was a major Progressive push to put a representative from the trades, the unions, and farming on the Fed board. This was not included in the final law, either here on in England, and as a result the central banks of both countries have a myopic focus on high finance.
What the Progressives realized was something that ought to be obvious to everyone 100 years later: when the people running the currency are all bankers, they will tend to put the interest of bankers first.

JR Stoker
JR Stoker
9 months ago

The task of the Bank is very simple; to control inflation. That means stimulating demand when it is low by lowering interest rates, and choking off excess demand by raiding rates. There is a roughly 12 month lag on either measure, so a little planning is required. But it is absurdly simple to operate, albeit more tricky on precise timing.

The present board are academic economists and (a) have no commercial sense; and (b) are always trying to “improve” on simple tools. And they are left leaning. And Bailey is weak and not a leader. Result: disaster. Solution: sack the Governor and give a senior intelligent commercially banker free rein to reconstruct the board

JR Stoker
JR Stoker
9 months ago

The task of the Bank is very simple; to control inflation. That means stimulating demand when it is low by lowering interest rates, and choking off excess demand by raiding rates. There is a roughly 12 month lag on either measure, so a little planning is required. But it is absurdly simple to operate, albeit more tricky on precise timing.

The present board are academic economists and (a) have no commercial sense; and (b) are always trying to “improve” on simple tools. And they are left leaning. And Bailey is weak and not a leader. Result: disaster. Solution: sack the Governor and give a senior intelligent commercially banker free rein to reconstruct the board

Brian Villanueva
Brian Villanueva
9 months ago

When the US Federal Reserve was originally constituted, there was a major Progressive push to put a representative from the trades, the unions, and farming on the Fed board. This was not included in the final law, either here on in England, and as a result the central banks of both countries have a myopic focus on high finance.
What the Progressives realized was something that ought to be obvious to everyone 100 years later: when the people running the currency are all bankers, they will tend to put the interest of bankers first.

Lee Healy
Lee Healy
9 months ago

….another think coming, please.

Simon Blanchard
Simon Blanchard
9 months ago
Reply to  Lee Healy

Thank you! I was sitting here wondering if I’d been getting that wrong my entire life.

Simon Blanchard
Simon Blanchard
9 months ago
Reply to  Lee Healy

Thank you! I was sitting here wondering if I’d been getting that wrong my entire life.

Lee Healy
Lee Healy
9 months ago

….another think coming, please.

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
9 months ago

Globalism

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
9 months ago

Globalism

environ MENTAL
environ MENTAL
9 months ago

Doom loop. Caused in large part by idiotic, impossible energy and environmental policies. From Ukraine to Britain and everywhere in between, the EU “energy transition” has 2nd, 3rd, 4th order consequences that European electorates failed to understand (because they were obscured intentionally from them) during fat times that are now becoming evident.
Truly ironic that this idiocy actually caused the hard times EU now facing.
Germany loathe to learn the lesson. At 5:15 this a.m. Berlin time, RWE, Germany’s largest utility, lignite (dirtiest form of coal to combust for electricity generation) was source of 80.6% of RWE’s electricity generation.
Those interested in a new Substack devoted to this space, stop by and see us. Free subscription > https://envmental.substack.com/

environ MENTAL
environ MENTAL
9 months ago

Doom loop. Caused in large part by idiotic, impossible energy and environmental policies. From Ukraine to Britain and everywhere in between, the EU “energy transition” has 2nd, 3rd, 4th order consequences that European electorates failed to understand (because they were obscured intentionally from them) during fat times that are now becoming evident.
Truly ironic that this idiocy actually caused the hard times EU now facing.
Germany loathe to learn the lesson. At 5:15 this a.m. Berlin time, RWE, Germany’s largest utility, lignite (dirtiest form of coal to combust for electricity generation) was source of 80.6% of RWE’s electricity generation.
Those interested in a new Substack devoted to this space, stop by and see us. Free subscription > https://envmental.substack.com/

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
9 months ago

Most infamous chancellor and Banker in the history of banking sending people back 100 years into poverty G unt and baileys bandits
Same old empire .

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
9 months ago

Most infamous chancellor and Banker in the history of banking sending people back 100 years into poverty G unt and baileys bandits
Same old empire .