The week ahead should be a little less...........>

UK: The week ahead should be a little less eventful than the last with the data

highlights the flash Markit PMI surveys which are due for release on Thursday

and retail sales due on Friday. There will also be focus on BoE speakers with

five MPC members due to speak this week. Governor Bailey is due to testify on

the MPR and on the economic impact of Covid-19 in front of the Treasury Select

Committee on Wednesday afternoon. Joining him will be Broadbent, Cunliffe and

Haskel from the MPC and Elisabeth Stheeman of the FPC. Ahead of this on Monday

Tenreyro is due to speak on the policy response to Covid-19 at an LSE event.

These comments will be closely watched after last week first Broadbent, and then

the Governor refused to rule out negative rates. Bank Chief Economist Haldane

said over the weekend in a Telegraph interview "The economy is weaker than a

year ago and we are now at the effective lower bound, so in that sense [negative

rates is] something we'll need to look at - are looking at - with somewhat

greater immediacy. How could we not be?" But he also pointed to other options.

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