Bank fires up £290bn virus fighting fund

As interest rates are cut to record low of 0.25pc . . .

THE Bank of England led a double-barrelled response to the coronavirus crisis as it unveiled an emergency package to stave off recession.

Just hours before Rishi Sunak delivered his Budget to Parliament, the central bank slashed interest rates from 0.75pc to a record low of 0.25pc.

Appearing together at the Bank in London, outgoing Governor Mark Carney and his successor Andrew Bailey also announced plans to free up an extra £290bn for lenders to loan to customers to shield them from the impact of the outbreak.

Hours later in Westminster the Chancellor heaped praise on Carney and Bailey and said ‘together, we are taking action that is coordinated, coherent and comprehensive’.

Kallum Pickering, senior economist at Berenberg, said: ‘The joint action reflects the intention to send a big message that policy makers are prepared to take aggressive, pre-emptive steps to support the economy.’

As well as cutting interest rates, the Bank of England had two more cards to play.

It is offering banks and building societies the opportunity to borrow from its reserves at least 5pc of what they currently lend to households and businesses, at interest rates close to the new 0.25pc base rate.

The lenders will be expected to use this to hand out cheaper loans to households and businesses.

Banks who increase their lending rather than holding back, especially to smaller businesses, will get more money from the central bank.

In total, Carney said that this could pump more than £100bn into the economy.

Another £190bn will come from reducing the ‘counter-cyclical capital buffer’, a requirement brought in after the financial crisis which forces banks to put money away in good times to be used when trouble strikes.

Before yesterday, banks were told to store cash worth 1pc of their loans to UK borrowers. This was due to rise to 2pc by December. But the Bank has cut this to 0pc, allowing lenders to use this money to support customers.

Carney said: ‘These measures will help to keep firms in business and people in jobs, and prevent a temporary disruption from causing longer-lasting harm.’

The Bank’s base rate has only ever been cut as low as 0.25pc once before, in August 2016, and it will be bad news for savers who have been dogged by low interest rates ever since the 2008 crash. But it should help stricken businesses trying to cope with the impact of the coronavirus. It will also encourage lenders to make more debt available to businesses suffering from cash flow issues or those looking to expand.

The cut was the first time the rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee has made a decision outside one of its six-weekly meetings since the financial crisis.

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: ‘The £100bn cash injection into banks earmarked for small business lending will hopefully throw a lifeline to firms suffering from cashflow issues.’

Karim Haji, at KPMG UK, added: ‘Thanks to a decade of scrutiny around banks’ capital resilience and rigorous annual stress tests, the finance sector is in a good position to help but it won’t be a comfortable journey.’