Bank of England at risk from populism over economy, says Brown

Former PM says politicians must take joint responsibility with Bank for heading off future financial crises, not rely on experts

Gordon Brown has said the Bank of England will be vulnerable to populist demands to "take back control" unless elected politicians accept joint responsibility for heading off future financial crises.

The former prime minister called for the creation of a joint Treasury-Bank strategic oversight group to assess risks to the economy, saying it was unfair for Threadneedle Street to be blamed for policy failures in areas it did not control.