Rachel Reeves branded ‘smart and capable’ by GB News guest while Britons bludgeoned with £26billion tax bill

With Black Friday sales at November’s end being unexpectedly poor, stores have started to warn that December’s could spell even more misfortune for the sector.

The new year is “expected to start on a gloomy note for the retail sector” too, the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) forecast, although this period was meant to be a “Golden Quarter” for the industry.

Nevertheless, political commentator Andy Williams insisted that Ms Reeves was more than capable in her role inside No11.

Spooning out sympathy for the Chancellor on GBN Breakfast with hosts Stephen Dixon and Penny Smith, he said: “She was absolutely right that Labour inherited a mess. They did inherit a mess.

“And I know that people don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. Unfortunately, confidence matters. And leaders, political leaders, Prime Minister, the Chancellor – projecting confidence is really, really important.

“Now, I did not like Boris Johnson at all. I have no time for him whatsoever.

|

GB NEWS

“But one thing he was very good at is projecting confidence. He had that sort of sunny optimism. He was able to make it seem like there was something better on the horizon.

“And that is not a skill that Rachel Reeves or Keir Starmer have. I actually think one of the problems they made, strategically and from a communications perspective, is making Rachel Reeves the front woman for this Government.

“I actually believe she’s a smart, capable individual with integrity. But she’s not a front woman.”

This week, Sir Keir Starmer and Ms Reeves’s popularity have taken a dive to new depths, with the pollsters at YouGov putting the PM on -54 and the Chancellor on -59.

|

GETTY

Ms Reeves’s straggling popularity has hit its lowest low since the Budget which sent shockwaves across a number of sectors across Britain.

With frightened farmers being one group among many disgruntled with Labour’s November Budget, the retail sector appears to be set on joining in on the fury.

The CBI described December’s performance as “poor”, its retailer survey revealed, with sales dropping relative to last year.

It has forecast to see January sales fall further, reaching to the lowest rates in four years since the pandemic in March 2021.

The Shadow Business Secretary refused to pull any punches in a scathing assessment of Ms Reeves’s impact on British retailers over the festive period.

“Doom and gloom in our high streets is mirrored in pubs, restaurants and even car showrooms as shoppers hunker down ahead of tax rises to come,” Andrew Griffith slammed.

He added: “This is a crucial time of year for businesses, but Reeves has risked ruining everyone’s Christmas with higher costs and no vision or optimism for the year ahead.

“She’s like a hangover without the Christmas party beforehand.”