Rachel Reeves Has Literally Cancelled Christmas’: Shoppers Slam Chancellor on Super Saturday Amid Economic Squeeze

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been accused of “cancelling Christmas” by frustrated shoppers hitting the high streets on “Super Saturday” – predicted to be the busiest retail day of the 2025 festive season.
In interviews with GB News’s Yorkshire and Humberside reporter Anna Riley in Leeds, members of the public vented their anger at the Labour Government’s economic policies, with many cutting back on gifts and urging others to prioritise essentials like heating over luxuries.
Millions were expected to descend on shopping centres and high streets on December 20, as postal deadlines loomed for last-minute deliveries. However, grim retail figures have cast a shadow over the seasonal spending spree, raising doubts about whether it can deliver the boost needed for Britain’s struggling economy.
One shopper told GB News: “I’ve been shopping for food, and I bought maybe two or three small presents. Because under this regime that we’re suffering from at the moment, Rachel from accounts has literally cancelled Christmas.”
He added a plea to fellow Britons: “What I would say to everybody out there is literally just prioritise what you want to do in the next couple of weeks. If it’s putting the heating on, put the heating on.”
Another local fumed about the impact on shops: “I never shop online, never, never, never shop online. But I think the shops have been hit badly for the obvious reasons… Footfall has fallen as we know and I think it’s appalling what’s going on.”
To beat the crowds, one early riser said: “I’m buying wrapping paper and some socks, last-minute gifts. And I’m doing it early in the morning because it’s so busy and traffic is very heavy.”
A woman still hunting for her husband’s gift admitted: “I have no idea what I’m shopping for, actually. I’m hoping to be inspired by something lovely for my husband that he’s not expecting.” When asked if he was “last on the list,” she laughed: “Always! I’ve gotta sort everybody else out first.”
The backlash follows Chancellor Reeves’s Autumn Budget, which raised taxes by billions, coinciding with disappointing retail performance. November saw a slump in sales, Black Friday underperformed, and stores have described December as “catastrophic.”
According to the Confederation of British Industry’s latest survey, retail sales volumes fell sharply in December compared to the previous year, with both in-store and online dropping, and expectations for early 2026 at their gloomiest since the pandemic.