Carney plays down rate rise

The Bank of England is behaving like an “unreliable boyfriend” and is using “smoke and mirrors” to keep changing its message on interest rates, MPs have claimed. Bank Governor Mark Carney appeared to play down speculation of an imminent rate rise yesterday, as he stressed that soaring employment and robust UK growth were not matched by higher wages and rising productivity. MPs on the Treasury Select Committee reminded Mr Carney that less than two weeks ago he said the MPC could vote to raise rates from a record low of 0.5% “sooner than markets currently expect”.