"Liberal Democrats will stand firmly behind Bank of England independence, just as we have stood against recent attacks on the independence of our judiciary. "Trump's threats to sack governors of the Fed if they don't do what he wants are causing economic panic in the United States," Sir Ed said. "That is the last thing we need here at home - we cannot let Trump's America become Farage's Britain."
The Treasury assumes taxes will need to rise by £30 billion, with the Office of Budget Responsibility expected to lower its forecasts for Britain's productivity growth. Each percentage point of growth is worth about £10bn in tax and the OBR is expected to lower its forecast by 0.2%. On top of that the government needs to cover the cost of lost revenues when MPs rebelled against welfare reforms. Finally, higher debt interest payments due to rising gilt yields have added to the burden.
They form part of a new exhibition looking at the rebuilding works that took place a century ago, replacing most of the interior behind its famous solid fortress wall with the modern bank that's there today. The exhibition, in the museum's rotunda, shows the various stages of the rebuilding process, from demolition of the old, discoveries of the even older in the basements, and how the current bank building was constructed.
Across the floor and walls sprawl grand mosaics and sculptures depicting lions, piles of gold, thunderbolts and ancient Roman gods. "When this building was created, it was designed as a working bank building. There were people coming and going all day," explains the Bank of England Museum's curator, Jenni Adam. "And immediately they were greeted with this sense of grandeur along with lots and lots of messages about what's happening in this site."
last week's blowout is reminder to the government that gilt market will not accept excess borrowing