Bank of England MPC meeting dates 2026

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee meets eight times a year to vote on the base rate. Decisions are announced at noon on the Thursday of each meeting week, alongside the minutes of the meeting. On the four meetings that coincide with a Monetary Policy Report, the Bank also publishes its updated forecasts for inflation, growth, and unemployment.

MPC meeting dates 2026

The eight scheduled MPC decision dates for 2026 are:

• 6 February 2026 — Monetary Policy Report meeting
• 20 March 2026
• 7 May 2026 — Monetary Policy Report meeting
• 18 June 2026
• 6 August 2026 — Monetary Policy Report meeting
• 17 September 2026
• 5 November 2026 — Monetary Policy Report meeting
• 17 December 2026

Dates are confirmed by the Bank of England in advance on its official calendar. The Briefed daily briefing covers each decision on the morning it is announced.

What the MPC decides at each meeting

The nine members of the MPC — five Bank of England officials including the Governor, and four external members appointed by the Chancellor — each cast a vote on whether to raise, cut, or hold the base rate. Decisions are made by simple majority, with the Governor holding a casting vote in the event of a tie. The votes of each member are published in the meeting minutes, which are released at the same time as the decision.

As of May 2026, the base rate stands at 4.25 percent, having been cut from a peak of 5.25 percent through a series of quarter-point reductions since August 2024. Market expectations currently price in further cuts through 2026 and into 2027. For the full context on the cutting cycle and what is driving it, see our note on whether UK interest rates are going down.

What a Monetary Policy Report meeting means

At the four MPR meetings each year, the Bank publishes its full quarterly forecast for the UK economy: projections for CPI inflation, GDP growth, and unemployment over a three-year horizon. These meetings carry more weight than the interim decisions because the updated forecasts tell you not just what the MPC decided today but how it expects the economy to evolve, and by implication where rates are likely to go next. The November MPR, published alongside the Chancellor's Autumn Budget in years when the two coincide, receives particular attention.

How to follow each decision

Each MPC decision is covered in the Briefed daily briefing on the morning it lands, with the rate verdict, the vote split, and what the forward guidance implies for the next meeting. CPIx, Briefed's composite consumer pressure index, is updated in real time as each decision feeds through to mortgage rates, savings rates, and household financial conditions. Free to read, weekdays at 6:45am.