British businesses have turned gloomier about the economy as the country's political crisis deepens, bucking an improvement in sentiment earlier this year, according to a survey published by an employers group.

Confidence in the economy fell to -28% in the period between May 22 and June 5, down from -19% in April and the first decline registered in 2019, the survey conducted by the Institute of Directors (IoD) showed. The survey of 893 firms coincided with the announcement by Theresa May on May 24 that she would stand down as prime minister.

"Dealing with political uncertainty is part and parcel of leading a business, but this has been taken to extremes over recent years. With the nature of Brexit still ambiguous and another shake-up of key government personnel in motion, many businesses have been holding back on investing in their staff, operations and technology to the detriment of UK productivity growth," Tej Parikh, the IoD's chief economist said.