MPC

The UK could be entering a "profoundly different" era of slow growth and high debt reminiscent of the economic ills engulfing Japan, says the BBC's economics editor Stephanie Flanders.

Oil prices should fall back in the near term provided unrest is contained within Libya, says Schroders' CIO Alan Brown.

Bank of England governor Mervyn King has not ruled out another round of quantitative easing and has reiterated his belief the UK recovery will be choppy.

MPC SHOULD NOT RAISE RATES

ODDS SHORTEN ON MARCH RATE HIKE

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) hawk Andrew Sentance is calling for a 0.5% rise in the Bank of England base rate, a greater hike than he has lobbied for previously.

Inflationary pressures are greater than the MPC painted in its latest report and higher interest rates are urgently needed, says the MPC's Andrew Sentance.

Schroders' Richard Buxton believes the Bank of England will hold off on raising interest rates this year despite his forecast inflation could reach 5%.

The Bank of England has held interest rates at 0.5% and kept its quantitative easing programme at £200bn.

The MPC is highly unlikely to raise interest rates this week but will begin to hike in the second quarter as GDP improves, says OMAM's Ashton Bradbury.