Post updated: September 4th, 2025
The Bank of England cut interest rates from 4.25% to 4% on 7 August, the fifth interest rates cut in a year.
The decision was narrowly passed by a 5–4 split vote, with one member initially pushing for a larger 0.5 percentage‑point reduction.
But despite August’s cut, a further cut this month is highly unlikely. The Bank of England has a difficult balance to strike as it needs to support growth but also bring inflation under control. Inflation figures are edging higher than expected but at the same time the economy is slowing.
Andrew Bailey, the Bank’s governor, has poured cold water on how soon any further cuts may happen.
Giving evidence to parliament’s Treasury Select Committee as part of the Bank’s annual report to MPs, said: “Although we’ve taken a further step, and although I think that the path will continue to be downwards, gradually over time, because policy is still restrictive…. there is now considerably more doubt about exactly when and how quickly we can make those further steps.
“That’s, that’s the message I wanted to get across. Now I think actually, judging by what’s happening to market pricing, I think that message has landed.”
Markets no longer expect another rate cut this year, with the next cut only fully priced in by next April.
Inflation figures released in August showed Consumer Price Inflation calculated by the ONS reported inflation rose to 3.8% in July 2025, up from 3.6% in June and the highest level since January 2024. CPIH, which includes housing costs, also climbed to 4.2%, while RPI reached 4.8%. Food prices were a major driver, with food inflation hitting 4.2% in August – the steepest increase in 18 months.
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No, the Bank of England is not predicted to cut interest rates from 4% when its Monetary Policy Committee next meets on 18 September.
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The Bank of England cut interest rates in August from 4.25% to 4%. This decision was widely expected.
The move follows cuts in May 2025, February 2025, November 2024 and August 2024, when the base rate was first cut from 5.25%.
Official figures released in July 2025 showed that the UK inflation rate had unexpectedly increased to 3.6% in the 12 months to June, up from 3.4% the previous month. This is 1.6 percentage points higher than the Bank’s inflation target of 2%.
Official government figures released in August 2025 show that CPI inflation rose to 3.8% in the 12 months to July 2025, up from 3.6% in June and the highest level since January 2024.
CPIH, which includes owner‑occupiers’ housing costs, increased to 4.2%, while RPI inflation came in at 4.8%, underscoring persistent pressures across housing and consumer prices.
A sharp rise in food inflation has intensified cost-of-living pressures for households. According to the British Retail Consortium, food inflation climbed to 4.2% in August 2025, the steepest increase in 18 months driven by surging prices for staples such as butter, chocolate and eggs.
All of this leaves inflation running at almost double the Bank of England’s 2% target, and suggests it may take much longer for price rises to return to more stable levels. That makes further interest rate cuts much less likely in the short term, with markets now expecting the Bank to hold at 4% for several months and only ease gradually once inflation shows clearer signs of falling back towards target.
The next Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting is on 18 September 2025. Its subsequent meetings are on 6 November 2025 and 18 December 2025. The Bank of England publishes a calendar of future committee meeting dates here.
Falling interest rates usually means mortgage rates fall too. Stay up to date with our guide to Mortgage rate predictions.
However, how changes in interest rates affect your mortgage depend on your circumstances:
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Other types of borrowing are affected in a similar way. If interest rates go up, borrowing of any type generally gets more expensive, while when interest rates are cut, borrowing generally gets cheaper. However, this is in general terms as the amount you’ll pay on things like credit cards and loans will depends on a number of factors including your credit history.