Just over half of the British public are reducing the number of Christmas presents they buy this year, according to a new poll. The survey by Savanta, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, found that 51% of Britons are buying fewer gifts due to rising prices for household goods.
The representative poll of 2,138 adults, conducted online between December 12 and 15, also revealed that 37% plan to host fewer or no guests on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, 45% intend to stay home rather than visit family or friends to save money.
The Liberal Democrats described the findings as evidence of a “cost-of-giving crisis.” Daisy Cooper, the party’s Treasury spokesperson, said: “It’s depressing to think that this time of Christmas cheer will be dampened for huge numbers of Brits. This Government is allowing a cost-of-giving crisis to grip our country and refusing to take action to fix it.”
Further findings showed that 45% of Britons are cutting back on visits to pubs or restaurants this Christmas season, while 55% are shopping at cheaper supermarkets to save cash.
In response, Labour highlighted that people are now earning £500 more per year on average since the party won last year’s general election, citing Office for National Statistics data. James Murray, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “Putting more money in working people’s pockets is the priority for this Labour Government.”
