just TWO periods of extremely high interest rates8 Aug 2021 13:57
The 1979 Conservative government
The incoming administration of Margaret Thatcher raised interest rates to 17 per cent, as this was seen by the government of the time as a key weapon in combating inflation. It did have the effect of reducing inflation, although critics noted its negative impact on UK manufacturing exports. Interest rates began to rise again towards the end of the 1980s, partly under the pressure of house price rises.
Black Wednesday September 1992
The UK’s withdrawal from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism on 16 September 1992 meant a rise in the base interest rate from 10 per cent to 12 per cent at 10.30am on that day; later that day there was a promise from John Major’s government to raise the rate further to 15 per cent. These actions were taken to encourage speculators to buy sterling. When this failed to materialise, the government reduced interest rates on 17 September 1992 back to the original rate of 10 per cent.
https://www.mortgagestrategy.co.uk/analysis/historical-interest-rates-uk/