There is increasing speculative suggestion that the BOE may become first major bank to tighten stimulus and increase interest rates from a record low of 0.5%, as consumer confidence improved along with rising inflation and falling unemployment.The weakness in pay growth would force the BoE to postpone such leniency until the British people can afford higher borrowing costs. The Office for National Statistics has found that average weekly wage growth including bonus has declined from 1.9% (January-March) to 0.3% (March-May), the lowest since 2009.