Beyond the Middle East: What's Driving Mortgage Rates Higher?
11 September 2026
Mortgage rates are rising again, but the conflict in the Middle East is only part of the story. Tom Bill is joined by Helen Thomas of Blonde Money to discuss the global forces putting upward pressure on borrowing costs, from Japan's return to inflation and changes at the Federal Reserve to the financing demands of AI and growing concerns about government debt. They also assess the outlook for the housing market and explore the difficult Budget choices facing Chancellor John Healey as Westminster returns from the summer break, with rising bond yields making an already challenging fiscal backdrop even tougher.