Mixed news ahead of budget for chancellor - as London mayor welcomes major rail investment

Consumer assurance has tumbled amid rampant speculation astir what the chancellor volition denote successful the budget, figures show.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) blamed "strong hints" from the authorities of income taxation hikes for the public's falling expectations of however overmuch they'll walk implicit the adjacent 3 months - adjacent arsenic Christmas beckons.

While a planned summation successful income taxation rates was scrapped past week, Sir Keir Starmer has refused to regularisation retired freezing income taxation thresholds - which the Conservatives reason amounts to a taxation emergence by stealth due to the fact that it drags radical into paying higher rates adjacent if their wages increase.

BRC main enforcement Helen Dickinson said months of uncertainty had "heightened nationalist interest astir their ain finances and the wider economy".

Consumer expectations for the authorities of the system implicit the adjacent 3 months person fallen importantly to minus 44, down from minus 35 successful October, according to information from the BRC and Opinium.

Ms Dickinson said enactment was needed from Rachel Reeves to "bring down the spiralling outgo load facing retailers", which she said would "keep terms rises successful check".

Read more: Inflation eases but nutrient costs rise

Signs of 'fragile' betterment successful jobs market

In somewhat much encouraging quality for Ms Reeves up of her connection adjacent Wednesday, caller probe suggests the jobs marketplace whitethorn beryllium connected the up.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation said the fig of caller occupation adverts past period was 754,359, up by 2.1% from September, taking the full to much than 1.6 million.

Ms Reeves's determination to hike nationalist security contributions for employers successful past year's fund was blamed for a slowdown successful the market, and a rising unemployment rate.

The study said determination has been an summation successful adverts for aesculapian radiographers, transportation drivers and couriers, and further acquisition teaching professionals.

But it warned the evident betterment was "fragile".

Reeves acceptable to backmost DLR extension

One antheral looking guardant to the fund is Sir Sadiq Khan, who has welcomed reports that London's DLR is acceptable to beryllium fixed backing for an extension.

According to the Press Association, the chancellor volition backmost an hold to the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead astatine a outgo of £1.7bn - unlocking thousands of caller homes.

Thamesmead has been notoriously abbreviated of nationalist transport links ever since it was developed successful the 1960s.

The program would spot the enactment extended from Gallions Reach, adjacent London City Airport, and see a caller presumption astatine Beckton arsenic good arsenic successful Thamesmead itself.

Sir Sadiq said the DLR hold "will not lone alteration question successful a historically under-served portion of the superior but besides unlock thousands of caller jobs and homes, boosting the system not conscionable locally but nationally".

It is besides expected to unlock onshore for 25,000 caller homes and up to 10,000 caller jobs, on with astir £18bn of backstage concern successful the area.