At the time of going to press the Bank of England (BoE) announced that it would hold the base rate at 0.10% for the time being, to the surprise of many.

The majority had predicted that the rate would rise to 0.25%, as had been mooted by economists to counter inflation, which has been at 2% since May. Several banks had already raised mortgage rates in the weeks before the announcement in anticipation of the BoE confirming a rise.

It will be interesting to see now if those increased mortgage lending rates will be brought back down or kept as they are, perhaps with the excuse that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) suggested it will review the base rate again in the coming months. The next MPC meeting will be on 16 December.

While we are all impacted by inflation and the base rate on some level, we should show the same interest in fairness and equality in society. Last month, the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries published its Viewpoint Report on diversity, inclusion and equity in the mortgage industry, which delivered some eye-opening views into the experiences of individuals in our sector.

While we are all impacted by inflation and the base rate on some level, we should show the same interest in fairness and equality in society

We have come a long way in terms of equality, but there’s still such a long way to go. The results showed that 72% of people feel that they ‘belong’ in the industry. It sounds high but, when you consider that 28% of respondents don’t feel welcome or accepted, the picture is not so rosy.

Of course, it’s easy to point the finger at others, but we must all consider our own behaviour. We may subconsciously be showing prejudice or passing remarks that could make a colleague feel isolated.

If you haven’t yet, you owe it to yourself and the industry to have a read of the report, which offers a lot of advice on how to improve diversity and inclusion at each firm. It will be 10 minutes very well spent.

Rebekah Commane is editor of Mortgage Strategy