UK leadership candidate Sunak says scrapping BoE independence would be a massive mistake

Britain's Conservative Party leadership candidate Rishi Sunak speaks during a hustings event, part of the Conservative party leadership campaign, in Cheltenham, Britain, August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON (Reuters) - Rishi Sunak, the underdog in the race to become Britain's next prime minister, said scrapping the Bank of England's independence would be a mistake that would scare off international investors.

Asked about comments from leadership front-runner Liz Truss's team suggesting that the central bank's rate-setting independence should be reviewed, Sunak said: "That would be a massive mistake for our country, and international investors would really not look very kindly on it at all."