Bank of England Governor underscores need for swift central bank intervention

Bank of England Governor, Andrew Bailey, stressed the importance of rapid central bank intervention during times when lenders are under pressure from uninsured deposits, at the Institute of International Finance meetings on Friday. His comments were prompted by recent bank runs at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (OTC:), both favored by tech entrepreneurs and venture capital funds. These institutions experienced significant deposit losses, further aggravated by negative sentiment on social media.

Bailey suggested a model where banks maintain high liquidity and central banks can quickly exchange these for assets after thorough examinations of banks’ loan books. This approach is seen as a solution to the “elephant flying around the room” – a metaphor he used to describe the looming issue of uninsured deposits.

In the UK, customer deposits are insured up to £85,000 ($103,750), but there is an ongoing debate about raising this limit. This discussion has become particularly relevant given the subdued UK economic outlook and the impact of an aggressive interest-rate hiking cycle on the economy and labor market.

Despite making progress with inflation, Bailey anticipates that the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will continue with restrictive monetary policy decisions. He emphasized the necessity of maintaining moral hazard in the banking system and acknowledged the vital role of the mortgage market in these dynamics.

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