Robert Jenrick is calling for an emergency halving of VAT on road fuel to ease the 'Trumpflation' pain for drivers.

Reform said the move would slash 12p a litre off the cost of petrol and 14p off diesel for the next three months.

The proposal - estimated to have a £1.5billion price tag for the Treasury - comes amid mounting alarm at the fallout from carnage in the Middle East.

Iran has responded to US-Israeli attacks by effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz - the crucial channel through which around a fifth of global oil supplies pass.

Costs of brent crude and gas have soared with little sign of the chaos easing soon, despite Donald Trump talking up the prospect of negotiations.

Brits are already feeling the impact, with the Bank of England having backed away from interest cuts and the prospect of energy bills spiking by more than a fifth when the cap changes again in July. 

Since Mr Trump launched the war, UK prices have increased by around 17p a litre for petrol and 33p a litre for diesel.

Mr Jenrick, Reform's economic spokesman, made the call on a visit to a petrol station in Dover, where he offered drivers 5p off fuel.

The visit follows a similar stunt by party leader Nigel Farage earlier this month as part of Reform's campaign against the Government's plan to reverse the temporary 5p cut to fuel duty introduced after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Mr Jenrick said: 'The Chancellor is raking it in while motorists suffer. The rising costs of fuel are really hitting alarm-clock Britain right now.

'She's making tens of millions of pounds a week in extra tax revenue as a direct result of the war; the least she could do is lessen the blow.'

Ms Reeves has so far refused to scrap plans to increase fuel duty in September, although she insists they will be kept under review. 

The Chancellor has made clear any bailout for the Middle East chaos will be targeted, arguing she cannot afford to prop up the 'wealthy'.

But the Treasury is not thought to be able to target specific incomes, meaning that support is expected to go to around six million people on handouts such as universal credit and pension credit.

The stance has caused anger that middle-income households will face even more pain, with the tax burden already on track to hit a record high.

Labour MPs have forced the Government to drop efforts to curb the spiralling welfare bill.