DAILY MAIL COMMENT: The Treasury profits from a growing crisis

When Keir Starmer appointed his ‘cost-of-living champion’ two months ago, he was probably hoping for a slew of catchy initiatives to scold and penalise big business.

Retail boss Richard Walker was handed a remit to look at areas where ‘consumers get a rough deal’ and report directly to the Prime Minister on ‘cost-of- living interventions’.

Now, in one of his first public comments since taking on the job, Lord Walker has turned his sights not on the commercial world but on the Government.

Rather embarrassingly for Labour, he observed the fuel duty cut needs to be ‘extended or enlarged’.

He even implied that Chancellor Rachel Reeves – whose support for the ongoing 5p-per-litre cut in fuel duty has been lukewarm at best – should hand motorists a far greater discount.

The Australian government, he pointed out, has already introduced a 14p deduction, and Ms Reeves’s meagre offering is set to expire in September.

The Government can now look forward to being rebuked by its own cost-of-living tsar if it fails to address the unjust tax bonanza on petrol and diesel.

As millions of families will discover as they travel to visit loved ones this Easter weekend, motorists are already suffering acute price-rises.

Among them, rural drivers endure the worst of it with prices up 10 per cent more at forecourts in the countryside, a new study by the RAC Foundation has found.

Furthermore, if the Green Party have their way there will be a 55mph speed limit on the motorways.

Labour must treat motorists fairly, not chasten them, if it wants Britain to thrive.

Criminal negligence

Gangs of masked youths are running riot in the capital’s streets.

But Labour’s Sadiq Khan insists ‘London is a safe city’ and condemns any suggestion to the contrary as ‘lies’.

The Mayor’s fallacious remarks led to him being dressed down by Marks & Spencer retail director Thinus Keeve who observed: ‘I keep hearing crime is falling, especially in London – something none of us believes.’

Mr Keeve reported ‘the absolute opposite’ with crime becoming ‘more brazen, more organised and more aggressive’.

Under Labour, the problem is set to get far worse.

It has passed laws to end most jail terms of less than 12 months (meaning nearly all shoplifters will no longer face prison), cut punishments and let lags out of jail earlier than ever before.

From the preposterous remarks of their politicians to the sheer lunacy of their policies, Labour simply cannot be trusted on law and order.

Action on Hormuz

Keir Starmer vacillated over action in the Middle East and now the UN Security Council stands accused of a similar lack of urgency.

It had been poised to vote on authorising the use of defensive force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

But because the ballot had been scheduled for Good Friday, it was postponed.

This newspaper supports preserving the sanctity of Easter, but don’t they know there’s a war on?

Diplomats everywhere must pull out all the stops to get oil flowing again if we are to avoid a catastrophic global recession.