A Cabinet minister today defended an 'insulting' Labour cost of living drive to trim pennies off beans and gherkins.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds acknowledged cutting import tariffs on such products was 'not everything'.

But he argued that even though they were 'not huge reductions' being announced ahead of the Budget, they would help households.

The Tories pointed out that the saving could amount to just 40p a week, while energy bills and inflation spike.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has warned that families face being up to £770 a year worse off by the end of this Parliament. 

The changes - described as 'everyday fixes' – are part of Andy Burnham's bid to give people 'breathing space', including axing the 5 per cent VAT on electricity bills.

Parental pay will be extended to a further 150,000 fathers or partners.

That includes the self-employed who were not previously eligible – they will now receive two weeks of support worth nearly £400.

Support will also be given to farmers facing higher fertiliser bills and households that rely on kerosene heating oil.

Other interventions include attempts to help those who drive for work by not increasing taxes on the mileage-free rate. The Treasury said it would maintain the tax-free rate at 55p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and increase the rate above this from 25p to 35p per mile.

The Government said that it was removing tariffs on more than 100 products.

Along with tariff suspensions announced previously, households 'could save up to £21 on their food shop each year', according to officials. That works out at 40p a week.

Pressed on BBC Breakfast about the scale of the savings, Mr Reynolds said: 'We recognise the pressure that people are under and what we need to get across to people is yes there are a lot of pressures... but we are not powerless.

'We can as well as confront these big issues also deal with these things... I do think that is important for a Government.'

Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith said: 'Prices up. Energy bills up. Mortgages up. The country's tax burden and borrowing at record highs. 

'I love a good gherkin, but the government's response is not equal to the scale of the challenges.'

He added: 'Shoppers face rising costs at the till and families are struggling to make ends meet, but Burnham's plan is cheaper gherkins. 

'This is an insult to families hammered by Labour's tax rises.' 

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell, said including gherkins in the list could be an 'own goal' because it 'risks reducing the measures to a cheap joke'.

'The problem is that given the pressure households are under, many people will feel these small tweaks are nowhere near enough to tackle major problems,' she said. 

'It's hard to know how much difference the food import tax cut will make to prices on the shelves, because it will depend on how much of the saving is passed on. 

'Meanwhile, the British Retail Consortium said this morning that food price inflation has risen to 2.9 per cent, so there's a risk those savings will disappear in a tide of rising prices.'

Analysts believe Mr Healey will reduce the headroom against the Government's fiscal rules and pocket a 'stealth' tax rise from higher inflation tomorrow, as he struggles to weather the impact of the MIddle East crisis and fund Mr Burnham's spending policies.

A raid on banks could also help underwrite energy bills help for benefits claimants, while a planned rise in fuel duty is likely to be ditched to ease the pressure on motorists. 

The Chancellor is poised to water down Labour's vow to equalise the minimum wage for under-21s.

He is expected to announce a 3.9 per cent rise in the minimum wage when he delivers the Budget tomorrow.

That would take the national living wage level from £12.71 to £13.20.

However, Mr Healey will reportedly not announce a bigger hike to the minimum for workers aged 18 to 20 - abandoning the trend since 2024.

The move is being seen as backtracking on Labour's manifesto, which promised to end 'discrimination' in minimum wage rates, although it did not give a fixed timetable.

Businesses have raised alarm that the boosts have made it harder for them to employ young people. The Government has also heaped pain by increasing national insurance contributions. 

The apparent shift comes opens another fault line in Labour on the eve of the Budget. Angela Rayner previously talked up the need to keep the pledge.

A bitter row over Andy Burnham reigniting the Brexit wars is also threatening to derail the PM's attempt to focus on minor cost of living measures.