Several high street banks have slashed mortgage rates after Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey told lenders that costs did “not need to rise as they have done”.
Despite the Bank announcing the largest jump in interest rates in 33 years, lending giant Halifax said it would reduce several remortgage rates by up to 0.24 per cent from next week, with rates now starting below the 6 per cent threshold.
Clydesdale Bank, an arm of Virgin Money, has also cut rates on its two and five-year mortgages by up to 0.3 percentage points, which will push some rates down to 5.44 per cent. A number of smaller lenders have also cut rates.
MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis warned that mortgage holders could face a £500 shock to their bills as a result of the bump to interest rates, imploring policymakers to look at ways to “mitigate the damage” of the cost of living crisis and recessionary shocks to those most vulnerable to them.