is the bank of england still committed to price stability?
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Is the Bank of England still committed to price stability?. Presentation at Cardiff Business School 2nd November 2011. What the Bank tells the public. “The Bank sets interest rates to keep inflation low to preserve the value of your money.” Summary statement on Bank of England website. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Dr Andrew SentanceFormer MemberMonetary Policy Committee
Is the Bank of England still committed to price stability?
Presentation at Cardiff Business School2nd November 2011
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What the Bank tells the public
“The Bank sets interest rates to keep inflation low to preserve the value of your money.”
Summary statement on Bank of England website
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The Bank’s remit
Excerpts from the latest mandate letter (March 2011)
“to maintain price stability; and, subject to that, to support the economic policy of Her Majesty’s Government”
“The inflation target is 2 percent at all times: that is the rate which the MPC is required to achieve and for which it is accountable.”
“The framework is based on the recognition that the actual inflation rate will on occasions depart from its target as a result of shocks and disturbances. Attempts to keep inflation on target in these circumstances may cause undesirable volatility in output.”
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What the MPC has delivered
Source: Office of National Statistics
Period Target High Low Ave
May 1997 - Dec 2003
RPIX = 2.5% 3.2% 1.5% 2.4%
Jan 2004 - Dec 2007
CPI = 2.0% 3.1% 1.1% 2.0%
Jan 2008 – Sep 2011
CPI = 2.0% 5.2% 1.1% 3.4%
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Outline
Recent UK inflation performance
Why has UK inflation been so high?
Problems with the MPC
Reforming the UK monetary framework
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UK inflation persistently above target
Source: Office for National Statistics
1995 Jan 1997 Apr 1999 Jul 2001 Oct 2004 Jan 2006 Apr 2008 Jul 2010 Oct0.0%
1.0%
2.0%
3.0%
4.0%
5.0%
6.0%Value Target Ave 2008-11
% per annum increase in consumer prices index
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Inflation far above the old RPIX target
Source: Office for National Statistics
1995 Jan 1997 Apr 1999 Jul 2001 Oct 2004 Jan 2006 Apr 2008 Jul 2010 Oct0
1
2
3
4
5
6Value Target Ave 2008-11
Annual % increase in retail prices index excluding mortgage interest
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Broad-based rise in consumer prices
Source: Office for National Statistics
Food and non-alcoholic beveragesAlcoholic beverages and tobacco
Clothing and footwearHousing, water and energy
Furniture & household eqpt/maint'ceHealth
TransportCommunication
Recreation and cultureEducation
Restaurants and hotelsMiscellaneous goods and services
-2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
% annual rise in CPI categories, September 2011
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What has gone wrong?
• Global inflationary pressures
• Large sterling depreciation
• Persistent services inflation
• Limited impact of spare capacity
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Global inflation on the rise% per annum change in consumer prices
Source: The Economist
USEu
roChin
aJap
an UKBra
zil CaInd
iaRuss
iaAu
str...
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12Year agoLatest
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Global primary energy consumption
Source: BP Statistical Review 2010
Million tonnes oil equivalent
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007
OECD
Non-OECD
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UK goods price inflation
Source: Office for National Statistics
Jan-97 Jan-02 Jan-07-4.0%
-2.0%
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%CPI goods Factory gate prices
% per annum change in goods prices
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UK inflation in international context
Source: Office for National Statistics
2008
Jan
2008
Apr
2008
Jul
2008
Oct
2009
Jan
2009
Apr
2009
Jul
2009
Oct
2010
Jan
2010
Apr
2010
Jul
2010
Oct
2011
Jan
2011
Apr
2011
Jul
95
100
105
110
115UK Euro US
Index of consumer prices, January 2008 = 100
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The global economy and UK inflation
Global economy
Cost of imports
Demand
Pricing climate
Exchange rate
Domestic demand
Expectations and credibility
UK inflation
Impact of monetary policy
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Sterling depreciation since 2007
Rebased to 100 in January 2005
Source: Thompson Datastream and Bank for International Settlements
*: Effective exchange rate
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Euro-Sterling exchange rate
Sterling EER *
Average EER *, 97-07
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Episodes of Sterling depreciation
Index, base year = 100
Number of years from start of period
Source: Bank for International Settlements
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
0 1 2 3 4 5
1967-1971 1972-1977 1981-1986
1991-1996 2007-2010
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Euro/UK inflation differential & exchange rate
Source: Thompson Datastream
*: Euro-Sterling exchange rate is expressed as the deviation from its average over the same period.
-0.4
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
-3.0
-2.5
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011
Euro-area/UK CPI differential (RHS) *
Euro-Sterling exchange rate (LHS) **
Euro/ sterling %
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Persistently high services inflation
Source: Office for National Statistics
Jan-97 Jan-02 Jan-07-3.0%-2.0%-1.0%0.0%1.0%2.0%3.0%4.0%5.0%6.0%7.0%
Goods Services% per annum change in consumer prices
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Capacity utilisation in UK economy
Source: Bank of England
Jan-98 Jan-03 Jan-08-4.0
-3.0
-2.0
-1.0
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0Manufacturing Services
Bank of England Agents’ scores relative to normal
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Unemployment in UK recessions
Source: Office for National Statistics, Labour Force Survey * Q3 based on Jun-Aug average
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16456789
101112
77Q4-83Q4 88Q2-94Q2 06Q2-11Q3*Unemployment rate, % of labour force
Number of quarters from employment peak
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Wage growth picking up
Source: Office for National Statistics
Jul-01 Jul-02 Jul-03 Jul-04 Jul-05 Jul-06 Jul-07 Jul-08 Jul-09 Jul-10 Jul-11-10.0
-8.0-6.0-4.0-2.00.02.04.06.08.0
10.0
Monthly 3-month m.aAverage since 2001
% per annum growth in private sector average weekly earnings
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UK economic growth
Source: ONS
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6Previous data Latest data Trend
% per annum change in non-oil GDP
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High inflation squeezing sales volumes
Source: Office for National Statistics
1997MAR 1999FEB 2001JAN 2002DEC2004NOV2006OCT 2008SEP 2010AUG-2
0
2
4
6
8
10Value Volume Average 97-08
% per annum growth in retail sales (3-month ave)
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“Output gap” model weaknesses
• Revisions to GDP
• Uncertainty about capacity limits and trend growth
• Does not capture dynamic effects (eg growth of nominal demand, “speed limits”)
• Globalisation is reinforcing “small open economy” inflation behaviour
• “Hysteresis” may erode spare capacity effects
• Not a robust framework in presence of large supply shocks
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Large official inflation forecast errors
Source: Bank of England
Mean of forecast percentage annual increases in consumer prices
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
May-09 Nov-09
May-10 Nov-10
May-11 Actual CPI inflation
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October 2011 MPC decision
“…the weaker outlook for, and the increased downside risks to, output growth mean that the margin of slack in the economy is likely to be greater and more persistent than previously expected.
“…measures of domestically generated inflation remain contained and inflation is likely to fall back sharply next year as the influence of the factors temporarily raising inflation diminishes and downward pressure from unemployment and spare capacity persists.
“The deterioration in the outlook has made it more likely that inflation will undershoot the 2% target in the medium term.”
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The view from the Governor
“Our objective must be to steer the UK economy slowly back to a position of more normal interest rates and lower budget deficits. With a lower level of sterling and a credible plan to reduce the fiscal deficit over the medium term, we were on track. But the problems in the euro area and the marked slowing in the world economy have lengthened the period over which a return to normality is likely.”
Sir Mervyn King, 18th October 2011
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MPC meetings attended
• Internal members (Total = 493)• Sir Mervyn King (174)• Charles Bean (134)• Paul Tucker (113)• Spencer Dale (40)• Paul Fisher (32)
• External members (Total = 75)• David Miles (29)• Adam Posen (26)• Martin Weale (15)• Ben Broadbent (5)
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Problems with the MPC
• Emphasis on forecast has allowed the Committee to redefine its own target
• Persistent modelling and forecasting errors, with excessive weight on “output gap” model
• Assymmetric policy response
• “Benign neglect” of sterling and policy of talking down the pound
• Lack of effective scrutiny and accountability
• Perception that inflation target has been downgraded and that growth is now the focus of monetary policy
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Proposals for MPC reform• Strengthen and diversify external membership of the
Committee: eg 6 (external) to 3 (internal)
• MPC mandate to be tightened to counter reinterpretation and redefinition of inflation target
• MPC should be held more firmly to account for inflation performance by the Government and TSC
• Letter exchange to be more substantial, with statement to Parliament and TSC hearings
• TSC inquiry into conduct of monetary policy and Bank forecasting record since the financial crisis
• Separate forecasting from decision-taking, as in the fiscal framework. An OMR to match the OBR?
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Message from the MPC: “Help!”
When we were younger, so much younger than today,We never needed any help in any way.But now those days are gone, we’re not so self-assured:Now we can’t make up our minds and inflation’s over four! Help us please to bring inflation down,So we can stabilise the value of the pound,And ensure that our economy is still sound.Won’t you please, please help the MPC?
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Message from the MPC: “Help!” (cont)
And now the world has changed in, oh, so many ways:Our independence may soon vanish in the haze.So every now and then we feel quite insecure,George Osborne could decide to show us all the door! Help us please to bring inflation down,So we can stabilise the value of the pound,And ensure that our economy is still sound.Won’t you please, please help the MPC?