Bank of England hikes rates for the fifth time to control inflation

LONDON: The Bank of England on Thursday raised its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point for the fifth time in a row, but said it may require bigger steps control inflation,

The Bank’s latitude to raise rates is limited by increasing barriers to growth. These include rising energy costs due to the Ukraine war and a potential trade dispute With the EU after the UK government introduced legislation that would allow it to tear down parts of its Brexit agreement with the bloc.