Three Bank of England policymakers voted for a hike, not a cut, in a 6-3 split that held Bank Rate at 3.75% on 30 July. It's an unusually hawkish dissent that raises the stakes for September, with flawed labour-market data leaving the committee without its usual anchor.
BRC like-for-like sales slipped to a below-trend 1.0% in July as heatwave-empty high streets cut footfall 2.1% and non-food categories struggled ahead of the autumn Budget. Source
