Consumer confidence takes a plunge

Its Consumer Confidence Index, which measures the outlook for the next six months, suffered a fall from 81 points out of a possible 100 in February, to 72 points in March. The news will come as a blow to the Government, which is currently attempting through its election campaign to reassure voters that Labour is best placed out of the political parties to bring about an economic recovery. Other recent data and surveys have indicated that the economy is starting to recover. The decline in confidence was driven by a sudden turnaround in what had been a growing feeling of optimism about...