Consumers are nervously awaiting the budget, reports data provider GfK, wiping out recent recovery in confidence.   08:19 Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, says the government is taking “tough decisions” to fix the public finances.

Consumer confidence falls sharply as households ‘nervously’ await Budget - GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index fell seven points to minus 20, with significant drops in predictions for personal finances and the general economy.

The longest-running measure of consumer confidence fell sharply in September, raising concerns about whether government rhetoric about Budget "pain" has spooked people. GfK's Consumer Confidence Index had been recovering after years of rolling crises, higher interest rates and inflation gradually creeping up.

Starmer insists he is setting out reality of ‘badly damaged economy’ as GfK survey shows sharp fall in household morale

Fears over Rachel Reeves's impending "painful" Budget have set British consumer confidence back almost nine months. In a fresh blow for the nascent Starmer Government, Britons are "nervously awaiting" some "difficult decisions to come" - the prospect of which has prompted scorn and concern from economists,