The Bank of England has left its key interest rate steady at 4 per cent for the 12th month running today in spite of an aggressive half-point easing from the US Federal Reserve yesterday.
But unlike the Fed, which has faced a rush of weak data on the US economy in recent weeks, most data coming out of Britain suggest the world's fourth-largest economy is in good shape with little obvious need for further rate cuts.
City economists had been divided as to whether the Bank of England would cut rates but almost all had said the decision was finely balanced. So few will be too surprised by the decision.
The bank made no statement with its decision.