Difference between revisions of "Bank of England"

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==History==
 
==History==
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Established in [[1694]] to act as the English Government's banker, it is the world's eighth-oldest bank. It was privately owned by stockholders from its foundation until it was [[nationalised]] in [[1946]]. The Bank's headquarters have always?{{cn}} been in [[London]]'s main financial district, the [[City of London]].
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Established in [[1694]] to act as the English Government's banker, the Bank of England is the world's eighth-oldest bank with its headquarters in [[London]]'s main financial district, the [[City of London]]. It was privately owned by stockholders from its foundation until it was nationalised by [[Clement Attlee]]'s Labour government in [[1946]].
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On 6 May 1997, following the 1997 General Election that brought a Labour government to power for the first time since 1979, it was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, [[Gordon Brown]], that the Bank of England would be granted operational independence over monetary policy. Under the terms of the Bank of England Act 1998 (which came into force on 1 June 1998) the bank's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monetary_Policy_Committee_(United_Kingdom) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)] was given sole responsibility for setting interest rates to meet the Government's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retail_Price_Index Retail Prices Index (RPI)] inflation target of 2.5%.
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The target has changed to 2% since the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Price_Index_(United_Kingdom) Consumer Price Index (CPI)] replaced the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retail_Price_Index Retail Prices Index] as the Treasury's inflation index. If inflation overshoots or undershoots the target by more than 1% the Governor has to write a letter to the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] explaining why, and how he will remedy the situation.<ref>''[https://www.nber.org/digest/apr98/inflation-targeting-has-been-successful-monetary-policy-strategy "Inflation Targeting Has Been A Successful Monetary Policy Strategy"]''</ref>
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Independent central banks that adopt an inflation target are known as Friedmanite central banks. Inflation targets combined with central bank independence have been characterised as a "starve the beast" strategy creating a lack of money in the public sector.<ref>''[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keynes-Return-Master-Robert-Skidelsky/dp/0141043601 "Keynes: The Return of the Master"]''</ref>
  
 
==Gold holding==
 
==Gold holding==
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===Venezuela 2018===
 
===Venezuela 2018===
 
[[Reuters]] reported in November [[2018]] that the [[Maduro]] government is seeking to bring 14 tonnes of [[gold]] held in the Bank of England back to [[Venezuela]].<ref>http://archive.today/2018.11.05-145324/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-seeks-to-repatriate-550-million-of-gold-from-britain-sources-idUSKCN1NA1Q7</ref><ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-05/maduro-scrambles-repatriate-venezuelas-gold-after-trump-crackdown</ref> The Bank of England did not fulfill the request and was asking for explanations why the country wants the gold back,<ref>http://archive.today/2020.12.17-223241/https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-26/bank-england-refuses-release-venezuelas-gold-after-us-lobbying</ref> citing concerns that Mr. Maduro "may seize the gold, which is owned by the state, and sell it for personal gain.<ref>https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/maduro-scrambles-to-bring-venezuela-s-gold-back-from-the-uk-0p29xp99w</ref><ref>https://zerohedge.com/geopolitical/uk-supreme-court-accepts-guaidos-appeal-control-over-boes-seizure-venezuelan-gold</ref>
 
[[Reuters]] reported in November [[2018]] that the [[Maduro]] government is seeking to bring 14 tonnes of [[gold]] held in the Bank of England back to [[Venezuela]].<ref>http://archive.today/2018.11.05-145324/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-seeks-to-repatriate-550-million-of-gold-from-britain-sources-idUSKCN1NA1Q7</ref><ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-05/maduro-scrambles-repatriate-venezuelas-gold-after-trump-crackdown</ref> The Bank of England did not fulfill the request and was asking for explanations why the country wants the gold back,<ref>http://archive.today/2020.12.17-223241/https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-26/bank-england-refuses-release-venezuelas-gold-after-us-lobbying</ref> citing concerns that Mr. Maduro "may seize the gold, which is owned by the state, and sell it for personal gain.<ref>https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/maduro-scrambles-to-bring-venezuela-s-gold-back-from-the-uk-0p29xp99w</ref><ref>https://zerohedge.com/geopolitical/uk-supreme-court-accepts-guaidos-appeal-control-over-boes-seizure-venezuelan-gold</ref>
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==Government debt==
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On 28 July 2023, [[Richard Murphy]] tweeted:{{QB|
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:"The Bank of England owns £800bn or so of government debt.
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:"If it sells it now it will lose £150bn.
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:"If it keeps it until it’s due for repayment it will lose next to nothing.
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:"So why is it so keen to sell?
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:"Could it be that it wants to use these losses to force [[austerity]] on the government?"<ref>''[https://twitter.com/RichardJMurphy/status/1684847193578995712 "The Bank of England owns £800bn or so of government debt"]''</ref>}}
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[https://twitter.com/PaulPaul49/ Paul Trainor responded:]{{QB|
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:"It does [[Richard Murphy|Richard]].
 +
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:"[[Austerity]] has been used as monetary weapon before.
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:"In fact [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_Against_State_Pension_Inequality back to 60 WASPI] can tell you that!
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:"What strings is the USA pulling?
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:"[[Gordon Brown]] the Bountiful sold gold at the behest of the USA.<ref>''[https://twitter.com/PaulPaul49/status/1684851130159775744 "What strings is the USA pulling?"]''</ref>}}
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[https://twitter.com/HectorWMcNeill Hector Wetherell McNeill added:]{{QB|
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:"He ([[Gordon Brown]]) also substituted the British electorate with banks and [[hedge fund]]s as the main constituency of the Bank of England as shown on the power diagram below."<ref>''[https://twitter.com/HectorWMcNeill/status/1684860928838262785 "Gordon Brown also substituted the British electorate with banks and hedge funds as the main constituency of the Bank of England"]''</ref>}}
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[[File:BoE_circles.png|600px|center|Banks and hedge funds control the Bank of England]]
  
 
{{SMWDocs}}
 
{{SMWDocs}}
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==References==
 
==References==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}
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{{Stub}}
 

Revision as of 12:30, 28 July 2023

Group.png Bank of England  
(Central bank) Companies House WebsiteRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
Bank of England.svg
Formation1694
HeadquartersThreadneedle Street, London, United Kingdom
Leaders• Governor of the Bank of England
• Director of the Bank of England
Type commercial
Subpage•Bank of England/Deputy Governor
•Bank of England/Director
•Bank of England/Governor

The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based.

History

Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, the Bank of England is the world's eighth-oldest bank with its headquarters in London's main financial district, the City of London. It was privately owned by stockholders from its foundation until it was nationalised by Clement Attlee's Labour government in 1946.

On 6 May 1997, following the 1997 General Election that brought a Labour government to power for the first time since 1979, it was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, that the Bank of England would be granted operational independence over monetary policy. Under the terms of the Bank of England Act 1998 (which came into force on 1 June 1998) the bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was given sole responsibility for setting interest rates to meet the Government's Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation target of 2.5%.

The target has changed to 2% since the Consumer Price Index (CPI) replaced the Retail Prices Index as the Treasury's inflation index. If inflation overshoots or undershoots the target by more than 1% the Governor has to write a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer explaining why, and how he will remedy the situation.[1]

Independent central banks that adopt an inflation target are known as Friedmanite central banks. Inflation targets combined with central bank independence have been characterised as a "starve the beast" strategy creating a lack of money in the public sector.[2]

Gold holding

Czechoslovakia 1939

Sky News reported in 2013 that the Bank of England on 21st of March 1939 moved gold from an account of Czechoslovakia at the BIS, after the annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938 and March '39 invasion of the Czech lands, over to an account held by the Reichsbank of Germany.[3][4][5]

Venezuela 2018

Reuters reported in November 2018 that the Maduro government is seeking to bring 14 tonnes of gold held in the Bank of England back to Venezuela.[6][7] The Bank of England did not fulfill the request and was asking for explanations why the country wants the gold back,[8] citing concerns that Mr. Maduro "may seize the gold, which is owned by the state, and sell it for personal gain.[9][10]

Government debt

On 28 July 2023, Richard Murphy tweeted:

"The Bank of England owns £800bn or so of government debt.
"If it sells it now it will lose £150bn.
"If it keeps it until it’s due for repayment it will lose next to nothing.
"So why is it so keen to sell?
"Could it be that it wants to use these losses to force austerity on the government?"[11]

Paul Trainor responded:

"It does Richard.
"Austerity has been used as monetary weapon before.
"In fact back to 60 WASPI can tell you that!
"What strings is the USA pulling?
"Gordon Brown the Bountiful sold gold at the behest of the USA.[12]

Hector Wetherell McNeill added:

"He (Gordon Brown) also substituted the British electorate with banks and hedge funds as the main constituency of the Bank of England as shown on the power diagram below."[13]
Banks and hedge funds control the Bank of England


 

Employees on Wikispooks

EmployeeJobAppointedEnd
Dido HardingNon Executive DirectorSeptember 2014
Dennis WeatherstoneMember of The Board of Banking Supervision19952001

 

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References

  1. ↑ "Inflation Targeting Has Been A Successful Monetary Policy Strategy"
  2. ↑ "Keynes: The Return of the Master"
  3. ↑ https://news.sky.com/story/nazi-gold-moved-and-sold-by-bank-of-england-10438741 saved at Archive.org
  4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20130807062236/http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/archive/Documents/archivedocs/wwh/2/p3c9p1292-1301.pdf
  5. ↑ https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/archive/bank-of-england-1939-45-ww2
  6. ↑ http://archive.today/2018.11.05-145324/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-seeks-to-repatriate-550-million-of-gold-from-britain-sources-idUSKCN1NA1Q7
  7. ↑ https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-05/maduro-scrambles-repatriate-venezuelas-gold-after-trump-crackdown
  8. ↑ http://archive.today/2020.12.17-223241/https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-26/bank-england-refuses-release-venezuelas-gold-after-us-lobbying
  9. ↑ https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/maduro-scrambles-to-bring-venezuela-s-gold-back-from-the-uk-0p29xp99w
  10. ↑ https://zerohedge.com/geopolitical/uk-supreme-court-accepts-guaidos-appeal-control-over-boes-seizure-venezuelan-gold
  11. ↑ "The Bank of England owns £800bn or so of government debt"
  12. ↑ "What strings is the USA pulling?"
  13. ↑ "Gordon Brown also substituted the British electorate with banks and hedge funds as the main constituency of the Bank of England"
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