Consumers are nervously awaiting the budget, reports data provider GfK, while national debt hits highest level since 1960s.   15:28 A day after stocks hit record highs, the mood on Wall Street is a little more subdued today.

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

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.