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Budget borrowing will slow Bank of England rate cuts, economists warn

A surge in government borrowing in next week's Budget will likely force the Bank of England to slow the pace of interest rate cuts over the coming year, economists have warned.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves(Image: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

Economists have cautioned that increased government spending could likely cause the Bank of England to decelerate the rate of interest cuts over the next year.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is aiming to generate £40bn in the forthcoming week's Budget to support increased public service spending, primarily through tax hikes, as reported by .

In addition to these measures, it is probable that Reeves will modify fiscal rules to permit more government borrowing for public investment.

Pantheon Macroeconomics' economists stated that the "growth-depressing impact" of higher taxes would likely be "roughly cancelled out" by the enhancement to everyday spending.

However, the anticipated increase in investment will provide a larger boost to growth. "Government investment has a much bigger impact on GDP growth than tax hikes do," said Rob Wood, chief º£½ÇÊÓÆµ economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

The Bank of England building(Image: PA)

Wood predicts that Reeves will augment borrowing by an average of £17.2bn annually over the next three years, providing a 0.5 per cent boost to GDP in 2025/26.

Consequently, he estimated that the Bank Rate would need to be 50 basis points higher in 2025/26 compared to what it would have been under the previous government's fiscal plans.

"The MPC can keep cutting interest rates, but Ms. Reeves' Budget should keep rate-setters easing policy only gradually," he commented.