A peek inside The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street: Mini-series on BBC2 TV
As we mentioned last week, the Bank of England’s been avidly working on their social media profile, partly as a consequence, which they still won’t admit to, of their handling of the finances of the economy this century, which have been nothing less than disastrous.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006h7n
This episode centres on the Monetary Policy Committee and its decision on interest rates. The process involves a small army of ‘9 of the world’s most eminent economists’ (their words, not mine), a communications team to deal with ‘media frenzy’, and ‘producing a narrative [where] we cannot get things wrong’ and ‘credibility is crucial.’
Journalists accredited to cover the decision first must get through the pink-coated security detail at the main entrance, lock their mobile devices in small boxes, which will be returned to them as they exit the premises. They are then led to a basement dungeon room, corralled, and have an hour to read through documents provided to flesh out their stories. Journalists call this a ‘lock-in’; a bit like an after-hours pub drinking session. Also in the basement is Victoria Cleland, Chief Cashier and AKA The Money Lady. Her domain contains £3.6 billion in new notes ready for release as and when needed – like Christmas.
One of the more in-depth interviews is with Ian McCafferty, one of 4 external members of the MPC who have offices in a separate corridor. Sitting at a green leather topped desk with wooden ‘In’ and ‘Out’ trays, he wields an extraordinary bunch of pencils (minute 17:53 of the video). Red and black, and at least 2 dozen wrapped in an elastic band; pity they are Staedtler rather than British-made, Royal Warrant holder, Winsor & Newton. Mark Carney also gestures with one of these in the beautiful Blue Parlour where the MPC meeting is held.
Hurry to watch this ASAP because the link will self-destruct automatically by the end of this month.
If you enjoyed that, here’s the link to episode 2: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006p1n
The views and opinions expressed on the STA’s blog do not necessarily represent those of the Society of Technical Analysts (the “STA”), or of any officer, director or member of the STA. The STA makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information on the blog or found by following any link on blog, and none of the STA, STA Administrative Services or any current or past executive board members are liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. None of the information on the STA’s blog constitutes investment advice.
Latest Posts
- STA Annual Celebration 2024: Good turnout, good food and good fun September 18, 2024
- Fireside Chat with Tom Basso: Calm and collected in Arizona September 11, 2024
- Bond Vigilantes Front and Centre: August can be such a cruel month August 22, 2024
- Technical Analysts Tackle Volatility: Economists Fiddle with Percentages August 7, 2024
- Living in a land of large numbers: How to get a grip July 24, 2024
Latest Comments