Bank of England maintains benchmark rate at 5.25 pct

LONDON, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of England (BoE) has decided to maintain its benchmark interest rate at 5.25 percent, the United Kingdom's (UK) central bank said in a statement on Thursday.

At its meeting ending on Wednesday, the BoE's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 6-3 to hold the rate. Three members preferred to increase it by 0.25 percentage points.

UK inflation rose by 6.7