CARDIFF (Reuters) – A Bank of England policymaker said on Friday he favoured small additional amounts of bond purchases over time, but not a hard-to-manage commitment to longer-term stimulus like that of the U.S. Federal Reserve.

“I don’t think I want to get into the American position of saying it is indefinite and then stopping,” said Paul Fisher, one of the British bank’s rate-setters. “I think the Americans are finding it a bit hard – as we have seen recently – to get out, because they have got this indefinite horizon.”

CARDIFF, May 24 (Reuters) – A Bank of England policymaker
said on Friday he favoured small additional amounts of bond
purchases over time, but not a hard-to-manage commitment to
longer-term stimulus like that of the U.S. Federal Reserve.

“I don’t think I want to get into the American position of
saying it is indefinite and then stopping,” said Paul Fisher,
one of the British bank’s rate-setters. “I think the Americans
are finding it a bit hard – as we have seen recently – to get
out, because they have got this indefinite horizon.”

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s better-than-expected economic growth in the first quarter turns out to have been boosted by a rise in inventories, while consumer spending was weak and investment fell, raising questions whether the nascent recovery will last.

Britain avoided falling back into recession when official data, first released in April, showed its economy grew 0.3 percent between January and March from the previous quarter.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s government should spend more now to fund investment and steer its economy back to recovery, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday, a call unlikely to be heeded by finance minister George Osborne.

Economic data earlier on Wednesday highlighted the challenge facing Osborne. Retail sales slumped last month while a measure of public borrowing jumped to a record high.

LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund
called on Britain’s government on Wednesday to do more to speed
up slow economic recovery, hinting that the country might be
able to afford to borrow more to fund investment.

The report is unlikely to spur finance minister George
Osborne to deviate from his flagship austerity programme, and
does not directly urge him to defer planned spending cuts.

LONDON (Reuters) – Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has urged successor Mark Carney not to bring to Britain his trademark policy of spelling out how long interest rates will remain low.

King also said the bank could not be run as “a one-man show,” a sign of concern at high expectations that the arrival of the Canadian will lead to a quick fix for Britain’s slow economy.

LONDON (Reuters) – Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has urged successor Mark Carney not to bring to Britain his trademark policy of spelling out how long interest rates will remain low.

King also said the bank could not be run as “a one-man show,” a sign of concern at high expectations that the arrival of the Canadian will lead to a quick fix for Britain’s slow economy.

AYLESBURY, England (Reuters) – Group of Seven finance officials agreed on Saturday to press on with measures to deal with failing banks and gave a green light to Japan’s efforts to galvanize its economy.

British finance minister George Osborne said the finance ministers and central bankers meeting outside London focused on unfinished banking reforms.

AYLESBURY, England (Reuters) – The United States told Japan it would be watching for any sign it was manipulating its currency lower but Tokyo said it met no resistance to its policies at a meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers which will conclude on Saturday.

As ministers and central bankers met in a stately home set in rolling countryside 40 miles outside London, differences were also evident over whether to prioritise debt-cutting or promoting economic growth.

LONDON, May 10 (Reuters) – Japan insisted on Friday that its
tumbling yen would not be a hot topic at a meeting of global
finance chiefs outside London, despite concerns in other camps
about a looming currency war.

“Markets determine currency moves,” a senior Japanese
finance official told reporters before the meeting of G7
policymakers finance leaders an English stately home 40 miles
northwest of the capital.