Britain | Buzzkill

The Bank of England is determined to prevent a wage-price spiral

Higher inflation is coming. But monetary policymakers are determined to keep it under control

THE GOVERNMENT faces no shortage of crises. As well as the fallout from prime-ministerial parties, it must contend with fizzing inflation of 5.4% in December, the biggest annual increase in almost three decades. Officials are racing for ways to avert a crunch in April, when energy-price rises and higher payroll taxes are due. Public opinion is souring; over half of those polled by YouGov on January 17th thought the government was handling inflation badly, up from a third a year earlier. And on January 27th a report by the Treasury all-party parliamentary committee warned of the potential for a “wage-price spiral”.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Buzzkill”

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