Lower food, gas prices in January helped drive inflation in the U.K. to a 10-month low
The central bank last cut its key rate in December
Starmer is the first British prime minister to visit China in eight years
Economists predicted that December's rise will be a temporary blip on a downward path
The bank’s Monetary Policy Committee was divided on whether to cut interest rates
The U.K. leader defended the decision to raise taxes, raise the minimum wage
The government was elected in a landslide victory in July 2024 on a promise not to raise taxes on income for working people
But it was a bit higher than what many economists forecast for the month
Starmer has said that generating economic growth is his government's central mission
The Bank of England will hold its next policy meeting on Nov. 6