Rachel Reeves cashes in on motorists' misery - she's licking her lips at the extra dosh

Drivers are being hammered. Four weeks ago, motorists were unaware of what was around the corner, and now the cost of owning a petrol or diesel car has soared to almost unpalatable levels.

Unleaded petrol sits at a staggering 16p a litre higher than at the end of February, with diesel up an eye-popping 33p per litre.

This is getting out of control. If higher costs weren't enough, motorists have even reported queues at petrol stations and even empty pumps as panic buying sets in.

Ministers would have you believe they are on the side of drivers, with Rachel Reeves waging war against petrol retailers as she blasts firms for profiteering.

The Chancellor stressed the Government would not tolerate any company exploiting the current situation to make excess profits at consumers' expense.

Reeves even boldly declared she was backing drivers and families, and expected a fair deal at the pump.

Even Ed Miliband joined in, stressing that officials were on the lookout for firms exploiting rising prices to make bigger profits. The Energy Secretary stressed that officials would not hesitate to step in if customers were being "ripped off".

Oh, how ironic. From the outside, this looks marvellous. Politicians are taking on the greedy retailers.

But is it all one big charade? What happens when it emerges that these same officials may also be profiteering from motorists' despair in much the same way?

Steve Walker, head of digital content at Auto Express, points out that VAT paid to the Government is "baked into the pump price". With VAT charged at 20%, experts warn motorists may well have handed Reeves a £51million boost from the additional £307million on fuel paid by Britons since the conflict in the Middle East began.

The Chancellor must be licking her lips at the prospect of filling another black hole in the public finances. It's like Christmas has come early. A tax windfall that until now seems to have drifted nicely under the radar.

But is this really fair? Should the Government be cashing in at our expense while ordinary families are struggling to make ends meet? This isn't going to be a good look for Labour, and Reeves needs to take action while she still can.

The planned 5p fuel duty increase should have been ditched weeks ago, with Keir Starmer already missing an open goal.

FairFuelUK has stressed that some countries are already considering VAT cuts, something Reform UK's Robert Jenrick also seems to support.

A 50% cut in VAT would reduce VAT revenue while also making life easier for motorists who rely on their cars. Auto Express has even argued for a further fuel duty cut, perhaps slicing 1p or 2p per litre off the pump price as a temporary measure.

This could be one of the quickest ways to keep everyone happy. It's a good news story for the Government, and drivers' wallets would feel immediate relief.

The fuel duty increase would even be offset by the extra VAT generated, meaning the move is unlikely to cause Treasury ministers any sleepless nights.

The lack of action almost indicates Labour and Reeves are happy to keep the tax money flowing at the driver's expense. They can't moan at retailers for making money out of a crisis if they are doing the same thing.