The oil and gas speculators in New York are responsible for more than 60% of the run-up in the cost of oil in just 6 months. There needs to be a moratorium on that. This type of trading has only been going on since 1983. Energy futures should not be traded by speculation...it should be on delivery,

Kriss, Houston, Texas, USA

This time last year US interest rates were 5.25%,and oil was around $70.Now US interest rates are 2% and oil is $146.If rates had been left at 5.25%,where would the price of oil be now?

stephen hulton, eure, france

Paulson and Darling have 'acknowledged' the price inflation that their respective central banks engendered by creating all that new currency, sorry 'liquiidty', out of thin air.

Paul, Coventry,

Glad to see Darling's happy!

David, London,

Then do something about it Paulson and encourage a strong dollar.

Yorkie, Amsterdam,

Henry Paulson "admits" ? When was he denying it?

David Delaney, Eastbourne, UK

Yawn.... I am going back to bed confident they can lead their Countries through it all. I think not, this was on the cards 4 years ago!

P Stewart, nottingham,

The commodity prices have nothing to do with speculation and everything to do with supply/demand and to a greater degree inflation. Commodities are valued in US dollars, the FED have decided to debase their currency which is causing commodities to explode and we will have hyper-inflation soon.

Steve, Edgware, UK

Simply a case of a world population, completely out of control. Making ever greater requirements on the earths' natural resources! But of course, nature will win, and it will be very unpleasant!

David Vinter, Louth, Lincs., UK.

Richard has just made exactly the same point I was going to make. If banks are lent money they have to ensure that it will earn them profit. Unfortunately lending to the average man hasn't recently been profitable, but lending to hedge funds is.
It's no coincidence that commodities are rising.

Rick, Manchester,

No, most of the liquidity that has stupidly been created is being used to speculate in commodities to all our costs - it is much more fun to lend to hedge funds and/or speculate on a bank's own balance sheet than lend to real people

Richard, Newton Abbot,

The BoE should raise interest rates immediately by 3%.

Alex, Salisbury, UK

Another utter waste of £50 billion of our money.

Alex, Salisbury, UK