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Hunt: Government will act in lockstep with BoE on inflation

“Inflation is a stealth tax that is the biggest threat to living standards in a generation, so we support the bank’s action today so we succeed in halving inflation this year.”

Hunt: Government will act in lockstep with BoE on inflation

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday that he will ensure government decisions are in lockstep with the Bank of England's approach and resist the urge to fund spending or tax cuts through increased borrowing.

“Inflation is a stealth tax that is the biggest threat to living standards in a generation, so we support the bank's action today so we succeed in halving inflation this year," Hunt said in a statement.


"We will play our part by making sure government decisions are in lockstep with the Bank's approach, including by resisting the urge right now to fund additional spending or tax cuts through borrowing, which will only add fuel to the inflation fire and prolong the pain for everyone."

The Bank of England on Thursday hiked its interest rate for a tenth time in a row as global authorities race to combat sky-high inflation.

The central bank's Monetary Policy Committee voted at a regular meeting to lift its key interest rate by a half-point to 4.0 percent, the highest level since late 2008.

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More time to pay, same financial strain: why council tax reforms fall short for many households
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More time to pay, same financial strain: why council tax reforms fall short for many households

  • Households get 63 days instead of weeks to catch up on missed payments.
  • Council tax bills shift to 12-month cycles to ease monthly pressure.
  • Experts say rising costs, not enforcement rules, remain the real issue.

Council tax reforms announced on April 15, 2026 are set to change how households across England deal with missed payments — but for many, the relief may only go so far.

Under the current system, falling behind on a single instalment can quickly escalate. Councils can demand the full annual balance within weeks, often adding administrative costs and, in some cases, involving enforcement action. Critics have long argued that this approach pushes already stretched households deeper into financial difficulty.

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