The criminal justice system is an utter shambles, by anyone's standard.

Mistakes of the past, as in the shocking case of double murderer and rapist Simon Levy, are at grave risk of being repeated.

But on top of the existing systemic failings, this Labour Government is introducing a whole new series of problems.

It has already let more than 70,000 prisoners out of jail early and a separate scheme, due to come into force in less than three weeks, is even wider in scope.

The Prime Minister is flip-flopping as he comes under pressure on multiple fronts to address the huge injustices of his party's horrendous scheme.

The mother of slaughtered PC Andrew Harper, Debbie Adlam, yesterday made very clear she would be 'absolutely furious' if Mr Burnham reneges on his pledge to block the early release of his killers.

If that is not enough, police chiefs have united to warn the scheme 'risks undermining public safety'.

Burnham's lack of decisive leadership on this issue has done him immense damage.

 To save his reputation, he needs to toss the whole scheme in the bin and come up with a fix – the clock is ticking.

Debt recovery

Labour's stewardship of Britain's economy is already disastrous.

It has spent two years shovelling billions into the welfare budget and crippling businesses with extra tax and red tape.

Now, there is a warning that things will get even worse – and, this time, the alarm is being sounded by the party's favourite Leftie think-tank.

The Institute for Public Policy Research says future generations will see £1 in every £5 contributed in tax swallowed up by interest on the national debt.

Its forecasts predict 21.3 per cent of their tax bill will go on repaying borrowing by 2074, and in the worst-case scenario the share could be as high as 47 per cent.

The think-tank warns, with some understatement, that all this will be a 'heavy burden on those born over the next 15 years', unless the Government makes major reforms in the next parliament.

There can be little confidence in the Government's willingness to turn things around, however.

Earlier this year it emerged that minister Pat McFadden had complained that in 'every meeting' with members of the Parliamentary Labour Party they asked: 'Who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others?'

They only care about ensuring welfare handouts shore up votes in Labour constituencies.

And even those yet to be born are set to pay a dear price for such profligacy.

VAT out of hell

Another financial affront from Labour is the vast sum it is raking in from prices at the pumps.

The Treasury has netted an extra £1billion in VAT from sky-high petrol prices since the Iran war began in February.

If it were a private company capitalising from the public's misfortune in this way, Mr Burnham would surely be condemning them as profiteers and threatening regulation.

But as it is Government coffers that are benefiting there is conspicuous silence, and motorists are expected to put up and shut up.

The PM claims to be serious about addressing the cost-of-living crisis – so he should cut VAT at the pumps, and do so immediately.