Interest rates will head downwards gradually towards a "a neutral rate", Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said in an interview published on Tuesday.

The Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged after official figures showed Inflation in the U.K. holding steady at an annual rate of 2.2% in August, with higher airfares offset by lower fuel costs and restaurant and hotel bills.

The U.K. pound is up 0.7% to $1.3307, its highest level against the U.S. dollar since March 2022, as traders react to news that the Bank of England left its main bank rate unchanged at 5%.