Britcoin: Future of a digital pound ‘more likely than not’, Bank of England official says
New technologies could help to open up a “new frontier” for payments and the way in which money is used, a Bank of England boss has told MPs.
Work on a digital pound, regulated by the Bank of England, was delayed by the “pressure of other business” in September and October last year, the deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe told a Treasury Committee.
There “just wasn’t the time” to devote to the Bank’s digital currency consultation paper in the autumn months due to the “pressure of other business,” Sir Jon said.
In late September, in the wake of the Liz Truss September mini-budget, the Bank launched an unprecedented market intervention to prevent a collapse of pension funds as uncertainty gripped the market and the pound sank to a record low.
Sir Jon was asked about delays in producing a consultation paper on a so-called Britcoin by MPs on the Treasury Committee.
The delays were not as a result of a difference of opinion on policy between the Bank and the Treasury, he said. Nor did the post-mini budget delay bring the UK behind other countries in developing digital currencies.
“I don’t think we’re behind other advanced economies in where we are on this,” he said.
Whether or not a central bank digital currency is created in the UK is still not certain, although Sir Jon said “it’s more likely than not”.
When a digital pound may be introduced is also uncertain.
“What we’re trying to do is to see how trends in the economy, how trends in payments, how trends in society, and how trends and technology will play out,” he said.
“We don’t know, I would have thought, enough about those trends, to actually say ‘yes, let’s implement a very major public infrastructure’.”
A digital version of sterling would not replace either physical cash or existing bank accounts, according to the Bank of England
But work is being done now on Britcoin to avoid a situation when it’s certain a digital pound is needed but the system has not been set up as the process can take up to five years.
“If we just wait until it’s nine out of 10 (need for a digital pound) we’re five years away at least,” he said.
“It may be that in the crypto world you can run up a payment system very quickly, but this would be a very serious thing that would have to be resilient, fraud-proof, and secure.”
The focus on whether to create a Britcoin is not about whether there is a current need but more about “creating new possibilities”, he said.
“So this is not about here’s a particular thing we think needs to be done,” Sir Jon said. “This is about opening a new frontier for people to improve payments and the way in which money is used in how we transact.”
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He also laid out some new uses for digital currency: they could be to pay for very small payments, such as for a newspaper article, or automating payments such as when an online delivery does not arrive.
While cash is declining in popularity and only 20% of people identified it as their preferred payment method, it will be available to use for “as long as anybody wants it”.
“I expect cash to be around for quite a long time – decades probably,” he said.
Unlike crypto the coin would have intrinsic value connected to the pound.
A digital pound would work like paper money by being issued and controlled by the Bank of England. It would be interchangeable with cash and bank deposits.
At present digital money is only issued to banks, rather than the general public, but with a digital currency digital money can be sent without the need for a bank account.
The UK’s power grid operator has issued a call for electricity providers to bolster output this evening to avert the risk of blackouts.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) issued an alert “to encourage market actions to increase system margins”.
It was the first such precautionary measure of the winter to date and issued at a time when much of the UK is shivering under sub-zero temperatures.
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The NESO is worried about a lack of spare capacity in the grid from 4pm until 7pm due to “system constraints”.
The body, which is in public control having been part of National Grid until last autumn, said in an update that it was seeking 1,200 megawatts (MW) of power as part of the so-called system margin notice.
Such notices are a call for a greater safety cushion between power demand and available supply.
The NESO was at pains to point out that it does not signal that blackouts are imminent or that there is not enough generation to meet current demand.
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Sky’s Ed Conway explains why your energy bills look set to rise this winter.
There is strain on the system due to a lack of wind and bitterly cold temperatures, which stoke stronger demand for electricity and gas.
Lows of minus 16C, the coldest of the winter so far, are forecast for parts of the UK on Thursday.
A yellow warning for snow and ice has been issued for northern Scotland and Northern Ireland from noon on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday.
Sub-zero temperatures are expected across the country for the foreseeable future.
It is the first winter the UK has seen in living memory without coal power forming part of the domestic electricity generation mix.
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The number of such power stations held in reserve was gradually drawn down under efforts to reduce the country’s carbon footprint.
Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station shut down in September.
The UK has reciprocal arrangements with neighbouring countries to draw power via so-called interconnectors if and when required to help keep the lights on.
National Grid data showed that more than 50% of the UK’s power was being generated through natural gas.
Renewables accounted for just 16% while France and Norway were helping provide 10% of output, with nuclear and Biomass accounting for the bulk of the balance.
Piers Morgan, the broadcaster and journalist, is leaving Rupert Murdoch’s British empire to focus on expanding his Uncensored YouTube channel in the US and other international markets, underlining prominent media figures’ accelerating shift away from traditional outlets.
Sky News can exclusively reveal that Mr Morgan and News UK – publisher of The Sun and The Times and owner of Times radio – have agreed a deal that will see him taking ownership of the Uncensored media brand and its existing 3.6 million-strong YouTube subscriber base through his production company, Wake Up Productions.
He is understood to have struck a four-year revenue-sharing deal with News UK that will see the Murdoch-owned company receiving a slice of the advertising revenue generated by Piers Morgan Uncensored until 2029.
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Mr Morgan returned to News UK in January 2022 with a three-year deal that included writing regular columns for The Sun and New York Post, as well as presenting shows on the company’s now-folded television channel, Talk TV.
People close to the situation said a book deal with the Murdoch-owned publisher Harper Collins would still go ahead, with Mr Morgan expected to complete that project later this year.
He will also continue to write occasionally for News Corporation’s newspapers, according to one insider.
Mr Morgan’s future had been the subject of growing speculation following the expiry of his three-year contract with News UK at the end of 2024.
As part of his new arrangements, Mr Morgan has also signed a deal with Red Seat Ventures, a US-based agency which partners with prominent media figures and influencers to help them exploit commercial opportunities through sponsorship and other revenue streams.
Piers Morgan on TalkTV. Pic: PA
Among those Red Seat has worked with are Megyn Kelly, the American commentator, and Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News presenter.
Mr Morgan is also understood to have received expressions of interest in other commercial and broadcasting deals from American media groups, having been one of few Brits to present his own TV chatshow on a mainstream US network.
Fond of the phrase “One day you’re the cock of the walk, the next you’re the feather duster,” during various phases of his career, his latest deal reflects the shifting dynamics in media consumption.
Responding to an enquiry from Sky News on Wednesday morning, Mr Morgan said in a statement: “I have had a great time working back at News and am delighted that we will continue to be partners.
“Owning the brand allows my team and I the freedom to focus exclusively on building Uncensored into a standalone business, editorially and commercially, and in time, widening it from just me and my content.
“It’s clear from the recent US election that YouTube is an increasingly powerful and influential media platform, and Uncensored is one of the fastest-growing shows on it in the world.
“I’m very excited about the potential for Uncensored.”
Mr Morgan declined to comment on any other aspect of his new arrangement with News UK or his expansion plans ahead of an official announcement, which is understood to be scheduled for later on Wednesday.
His decision to strike out on his own – albeit with a continued relationship with News UK – is said to reflect his belief that broadcast audiences will increasingly shift away from mainstream channels to platforms such as YouTube.
“He thinks YouTube will be a dominant broadcasting platform in terms of audience share within a couple of years,” said one.
It was unclear what the precise revenue split would be between Wake Up Productions and News UK during their four-year partnership.
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He is expected to focus his efforts to expand Uncensored on US audiences initially, with a wider international plan to follow that.
On Tuesday, Mr Morgan posted on X that he believed an interview with Elon Musk, the Tesla founder who has sparked a firestorm in British politics in recent weeks, was “getting closer”.
Among the other interviewees on his YouTube show have been Donald Trump during his first presidency, the Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky and Cristiano Ronaldo, the footballer.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars says a record £300m investment at its West Sussex factory base will help expand production of bespoke and electric models.
The BMW-owned firm, like rivals in the luxury sphere, has enjoyed rising demand for personalised vehicles among its wealthy customer base.
The carmaker said recent orders to complement its base models included 18-carat gold sculptures, embroideries consisting of more than 869,500 stitches, wood veneers including 500 individually-shaped pieces and holographic paint finishes.
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The investment, Rolls-Royce said, would bolster facilities at Goodwood to cover such requests and also its Coachbuild programme – an invitation-only service where clients get to “craft an entirely original motor car.”
The company added that additional space would also be created to prepare Rolls-Royce for an all-battery electric future, with a new fully electric model due to be unveiled later this year.
Bespoke commissions for 2024 included ‘year of the dragon’ embroidery for one customer. Pic: R-R/Ciaran McCrickard/Mindworks
The £300m investment marked the largest cash injection in the company’s operations since the plant opened in 2003, Rolls said.
It made the announcement while revealing a fall in sales during 2024.
The company sold 5,712 cars in 2024, a drop of more than 5% versus the 6,032 vehicles sold over the previous 12 months.
It said the decline was in line with expectations as it switches over to new models. Four were introduced during 2024 including the Cullinan Series 2 and Ghost Series 2.
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North America was its largest market in 2024. The most popular model, it said, was the all-electric Spectre.
Goodwood employs 2,500 people and produces 28 cars daily, it added.
Recent workforce expansion has been a result of its high margin Bespoke and Coachbuild programmes but also the transition to electric technology.
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