Rachel Reeves just proved to us all she lives in parallel universe - time's up for Labour

 Three months since the Iran War started the hardship being felt by millions of families in Britain is a stark reminder this is not just a Middle East issue, it's a Labour one.

And if the news wasn't bad enough already, we've not even begun to feel the full force of the economic fallout.

Still, it's good to know Rachel Reeves has the answer: knock a few pence off a pepperoni pizza and packet of chocolate digestives and a fiver off the already wildly overpriced entry to Legoland or Peppa Pig World. That should keep the masses happy, right? Wrong.

Duty will also be slashed on products including chocolate and biscuits - despite one in three primary school children being overweight or obese.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to help struggling families "make memories" during the summer holidays.

Just have a think of the misery endured by these struggling families over the past two years, and bear in mind unemployment stands at 5% while the number of job vacancies has plunged to its lowest level in five years, and this is Labour's gift to you.

Is that it?

The Chancellor has happily snatched £66bn in tax hikes from two budgets but thinks the paltry offering rewards those still suffering monetary misery. It's another pathetically executed idea but goes some way to illustrating the depth of the economic mess she has plunged the country into.

The VAT discount applies to cinemas, soft play centres, theatres, theme parks, zoos, and other attractions, and kid's menus but, and here's the rub, it is up to businesses to pass the discounts to customers.

For most it will be too little too late and, worse, it's an insult to think this gimmick is anywhere near enough to satisfy a country stuck under Labour's boot.

Ms Reeves has even begged supermarkets to help cut costs for customers asking them to cap price rises on essentials like eggs, bread and milk. The idea has been dismissed as "completely preposterous".

That assessment could equally apply to the limp and half-hearted attempts to convince the public Labour is helping lift the financial burden.

It has taken two years for the Chancellor to offer a carrot to the country but while the "summer savings scheme" has been welcomed by some it does absolutely nothing to address issues of major concern, like rising energy bills and a post-war high tax burden driven by multi-year freezes to personal income tax allowances.

Sir Keir said: "This summer, we are making it easier and more affordable for families to get out, spend time together, and make memories they will cherish for life...the cost of a day out drops overnight."

Perhaps the PM will be taking advantage - after all, he might find himself with some spare time over the next few months.

In July the energy price cap - which limits the maximum unit price of gas and electricity - is predicted to rise by hundreds of pounds a year as the full force of strangulated global oil and gas supplies bites. This is be a winter of discontent.

A few quid off here and there is an insult when Britain's welfare bill is set to rise by £73.2bn to £406.2bn in the next five years.

A peek at the numbers shows how dire the situation under Labour is.

The UK borrowed another £24.3bn in April - significantly above the £20.9bn forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Meanwhile the ONS said our debt interest bill rose to £10.3bn last month.

This government, out of its depth and on borrowed time, is paying more than £100bn a year to service its debts.

It will take more than a Margherita pizza and a trip to Peppa Pig World for people to forgive and forget economic incompetence of that order.