Skip to main content

Stuck in the middle lane

The six-month delay to Brexit until 31st October 2019 has put the brakes on interest rate hikes and left the economy travelling in the middle lane, with GDP likely to rise by 1.5% this year. But should a Brexit deal be struck in October, which is our working assumption, then the economy is well placed to accelerate in 2020 with growth of around 1.7%. It may then move into the fast lane in 2021 growing by about 2.2%, which would mean growth in the UK overtakes growth in the US and the euro-zone. So although UK interest rates and the pound are unlikely to rise this year and will probably only edge higher in 2020, they may both surprise on the upside in 2021.

Become a client to read more

This is premium content that requires an active Capital Economics subscription to view.

Already have an account?

You may already have access to this premium content as part of a paid subscription.

Sign in to read the content in full or get details of how you can access it

Register for free

Sign up for a free account to gain:

  • Unlock additional content
  • Register for Capital Economics events
  • Receive email updates and economist-curated newsletters
  • Request a free trial of our services


Get access