Bank of England delays latest interest rate rise

The nation is currently observing a ten-day national mourning period following the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96. The government has announced that 19 September will be a bank holiday to coincide with the funeral. The Bank of England also announced that it was delaying it's scheduled monetary committee meeting by a week, with the new date being 22 September. 

The committee agrees changes to the base interest rate. This has increased several times this year in an effort to curb inflation. Leading economists had expected the rate to increase from its current level of 1.75% to 2.25%, which would be the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. Of course, this would have a knock-on effect to interest rates that are pegged to the base rate, including HMRC's. As a result, the interest charged on any overdue tax will shortly increase, albeit later than may have been the original case.