Bank of England policymakers were split for a third month in a row over the need to lift its record-low interest rate, minutes of their last meeting showed on Wednesday.
The bank`s nine-member monetary policy committee (MPC) voted 7-2 in favour of keeping its key lending rate at 0.50 percent at its October meeting, repeating the voting pattern over the previous two months.
As in August and September, policymakers Ian McCafferty and Martin Weale voted for a rise to 0.75 percent, citing potential inflationary pressures.
However, the seven other MPC members -- including governor Mark Carney -- called again for the rate to stay unchanged, with "insufficient evidence of prospective inflationary pressure to justify an immediate increase".
Policymakers also voted unanimously to maintain the level of cash stimulus, or quantitative easing, at £375 billion ($602 billion, 474 billion euros) earlier this month.
