Some of Britain’s biggest mortgage lenders are cutting rates again, raising hopes that borrowers could finally be past the worst of the mortgage crunch.

Halifax, Barclays, and Santander are amongst the latest banks to reduce selected fixed-rate deals as competition intensifies for buyers and homeowners approaching remortgaging.

But at the same time, NatWest moved in the opposite direction by increasing some deals last week.

Shorts

The changes come after months of volatility driven by inflation fears, global conflict and uncertainty over the path of Bank of England interest rates.