Britain is at risk of talking itself into economic decline because of a growing sense of “insidious” and “corrosive” negativity, Jeremy Hunt has warned.

Writing for The Telegraph, the Chancellor warns that critics on the Left and the Right who portray the country as on the slide risk making a “self-fulfilling prophecy”.

His intervention comes after Tories issued warnings at the National Conservatism conference this week about the state of Britain, while Nigel Farage said Brexit had “failed” and Sir Keir Starmer vowed to rework the EU deal.

There are signs of economic improvements under Rishi Sunak with inflation falling, a recession predicted to be avoided and a fall in energy bills to be announced next week.

But in recent weeks prominent Conservative voices have questioned Mr Sunak and Mr Hunt’s economic priorities – not least on tax cuts – in the wake of local election losses.