Economy worries swirl after ‘painful’ Budget warning

There were “major corrections” – or double digit falls – for consumers’ perception of the general economic situation, as well as how likely they were to make big purchases.

People’s view of their own personal finances in the future has also gone negative again, down nine points to -3.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had previously hailed the turn in this measure positive as a sign of an economic turnaround.

The fall was unexpected as it came in the aftermath of an interest rate cut from the Bank of England, potentially easing the pressure faced by some homeowners.

But other measures of consumer confidence have dipped too.

“Despite stable inflation and the prospect of further cuts in the base interest rate, this is not encouraging news for the UK’s new government,” said Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK.

He suggested that following the withdrawal of winter fuel payments and warnings of “further difficult decisions” to come on tax, spending and welfare, consumers are “nervously” awaiting the upcoming Budget on 30 October.