Daily Junction.mobi portalBusiness · July 12, 2026 · Marcus Vale · 1 min
Bank of England to hear the views of the people in Gloucestershire about the cost of living. A business report — sourced from Bank of England Events.
The Bank of England is continuing its programme of regional public engagement with an event in Gloucester, where members of the Monetary Policy Committee will hear from households and businesses about the impact of the cost of living on their daily lives and their plans for the future.
The event is the latest in a series that has taken the Bank's senior officials to every region of the United Kingdom, reflecting the Governor's belief that the central bank's legitimacy depends on its willingness to listen to the people whose lives are affected by its decisions. The Bank has been criticised in the past for being remote and unaccountable, and the engagement programme is part of an effort to address that perception.
The Gloucester event is expected to focus on several themes that are particularly relevant to the region: the impact of higher interest rates on mortgage-holders, the challenges facing small businesses in a period of subdued consumer spending, and the opportunities presented by the growth of the green energy sector, which has a significant presence in Gloucestershire and the surrounding area.
The Bank's regional agents for the South West have reported that economic conditions in the region are broadly consistent with the national picture: slow growth, a gradually easing labour market, and a cost of living that remains elevated but is no longer rising as rapidly as it was. The MPC members attending the event will be interested to hear whether that characterisation matches the experience of the people who live and work in the region.
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