Rate rise is not in our interest
Inflation is surging, interest rates have risen and the pound is severely weakened since the referendum.
The future is indeed looking bleak for countless families on the breadline following seven long years of Tory austerity, during which the rich have prospered at the expense of the poor.
So much for the Tory myth that the economy is safe in their hands – just like our crippled NHS.
There can be no dispute that the referendum has caused mayhem, with our future far from certain.
Also, it is now evident the Tories have added to this mess with their cruel austerity programme, which has been a dismal failure.
A general election is urgently required. Bill Cook, Teignmouth, Devon
# So there’s more bad news for ordinary people who are struggling to make ends meet with the announcement of a rise in interest rates. Once again the poorest in our society will suffer while the rich prosper. Why people fall for the Tories’ lies about a strong economy is beyond me. We desperately need a change of government – and quickly. Stan Gray Sunderland
# An interest rate rise is just what we don’t need with inflation on the march. So as the rich rejoice at their new savings bonus, tears will be shed in thousands of households across the country with the realisation that they will now be even poorer than before.
After seven years of austerity, we’ll have to tighten our belts even more. And it won’t stop there – the British people are in for a rough ride. S T Vaughan, Birmingham
# It appears that the ill-effects of Brexit are already being felt with a rise in interest rates when wages have already fallen below inflation. This was due to the fall in the value of the pound – again caused by uncertainty and fears of what leaving the EU will mean for the future of our economy. Valerie Crews, Beckenham, Kent
# The decision to raise interest rates will mean more hardship for those who are just about managing and it will inevitably tip some families over the edge.
With wages flatlining and inflation and bills rising, it’s going to be a bleak Christmas for many families. G Quinn, Bootle, Merseyside
# Our economy will never thrive if the richest in our society keep their wealth locked away. I have no issue with people being rich, just when they avoid taxes by squirrelling money away in offshore tax havens. The wealthy don’t need to spend, it’s the poorest who have to. This is why capitalism will never work. Colin Davies, Liverpool
# As serious as the sexual harassment scandal is, it must not be allowed to take attention from the problems of the economy, compounded by the interest rate rise. Arthur Poole Macclesfield, Cheshire