It is now just over two years since the new framework for monetary policy was announced and operational responsibility for the setting of interest rates was devolved to the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at the Bank of England. A key component of the new arrangements is their accountability. One of the ways in which this is meant to be achieved is by the ‘open letter’ system, whereby the Governor is to write to the Chancellor whenever inflation is one percentage point higher or lower than the target. It is remarkable that no open letters have yet had to be written.