UK interest rates have fallen to 4.5% after the Bank of England voted to cut borrowing costs, as it also slashed short-term growth forecasts for the economy. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted for a quarter-point reduction after similar cuts in August and November last year, bringing the base rate to its lowest point since June 2023. Governor Andrew Bailey said the cut will be “welcome news to many” but that the Bank is “monitoring the UK economy and global developments very closely, and taking a gradual and careful approach to reducing rates further”. The central bank has reduced interest rates after seven members of the central bank’s nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to reduce the base rate from 4.75% to 4.5%.