BOE rate rises could come faster than expected

London

THE Bank of England could end up needing to raise interest rates faster than investors expect, its chief economist told lawmakers on Wednesday, striking a slightly more hawkish tone than his central bank colleagues.

BOE governor Mark Carney, appearing alongside Andy Haldane, said there was no need to give a direct commitment on rates as markets broadly understood the BOE's message - unlike in the months before November's rate rise, the first in over a decade.