Consumer confidence in the health of the economy dipped in November, a new survey shows, as the Budget failed to allay households’ economic fears.

The British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) sentiment monitor showed that consumers’ confidence in the economy fell back to -19 in November, down two points from October.

The reading confirms that households’ optimism in the economy remained relatively depressed throughout the autumn, having improved significantly earlier in the year. In July, following Labour’s election, the reading briefly strayed into positive territory.