Boy oh boy, are Barclays glad they lost out to RBS!

George Townsend, Elk Grove, USA

I will remind you our Queen has done her fair share of signing of agreements with foreign governments (example Lisbon Treaty) that take away our rights and liberties. I am Royalist but not at any cost.

R McAuley, Antrim, UK

Amazing to recall now how blind the ECB and BoE were to the danger signals that were flashing red a year ago to anyone who was looking. Even worse were bank directors insisting they were adequately capitalised to cope with impending losses and refusing to change the bonus structure causing the mess.

Robert Cookson, Bow Brickhill, UK

Anatole, it is the ability of the government to "print money to cover the debts" that got us into this mess in the first place. What we need is a return to the dicipline of the Gold Standard and ~100% reserve banking, not more funny money and debt. Your advice would only lead to hype-inflation.

Chris, Bristol,

"...make it absolutely explicit that no depositor or creditor of any bank will lose a penny under any circumstances..."

There obviously isn't enough money to repay all the bank accounts. So the government can only inflate the currency until all debts shrink, and everyone with savings loses heavily.

Tom Welsh, Basingstoke, England,

It seems ironic that Tony from London complains about the role of "marxist labour" in ruining the banking system, and yet seems to be in favour of massive state intervention to prop up the banking system. Isn't that a bit too... socialist?

Paul Levy, Lausanne, Switzerland

I left school in 1955 and was trained to show that a Balance Sheet, at a certain point in time, should show ' a true & fair view'.
Maybe I am old fashioned and / or out of date ... but how can our regulators allow ' off balance sheet liabilities' ... what a mockery of accountancy ... as I know it !

Michael H. Harrison, Cleckheaton, England

This is a no brainer. One doesn't need to be a highly paid banker, a politician or a highly qualified economist to see what is happening. Confidence is the issue here so give confidence. Guarantee all savings. It won't cost a penny and it will actually save a lot in taxpayer bailouts. Why delay?

Paul Owen, Birmingham, UK

Marxist labour has delivered us into failure once again.

Is it not the true darling was a member of a far left group seeking to destroy capitalism?

Is it not the case that marxist labour has done just about everything it could do to bring abnout the runination of this country and our Queen?

Tony, london , UK

UK plc needs to guarantee all savings, however I object to the likes of Barclays demanding this. They have been instrumental in downgrading UK banking services, closing branches, now refusing to lend to other banks, withdrawing credit to UK business and want tax payers to bail them out! Priceless!

Kirk Langley, Addlestone,

the big policy failure this time (will with hindsight) be the lack of international policy co-operation to solve this international financial crisis. when capital is globally mobile, patching up one national banking sector isn't sufficient. it's prisoners dilema, but with only a lose-lose outcome.

stephen, china, china

I'm the first to blame the Government but it's the idiots on the stock market who are responsible for this price run and they are in-effect blackmailing the country. The LSE needs level heads, not spoilt kids and rumour mongers who can't get their own way.

Mark B, Hull,

I thought all EU banks had to act in concert to avert this crisis Does that mean all offering unlimited domestic guarantees or all acting in unison with a co-ordinated EU wide external policy?

Ben, London, England

If Gordon Brown was a Judge and had two wigs in his Chambers he would never get into Court! He must act immediately to restore universal confidence for all investors, particularly the large investment orgnisations, so as to stop further pressure on the banking system.

Charles Chruszcz, Manchester, UK

I agree that Mr Darling's speech was only noteworthy in that he didn't have anything much to say. I think it's time we had a vote of no-confidence in the Government and got rid of them for good. Long term, we all need to save more and spend less.

Peter, Singapore,

Brown, I suspect, does not have the ability to make a decisive move. Hence Mandelson as a scapegoat.
"What's happening in Brusells then Peter?" he asks. Haven't got a clue Prime Minister. They don't talk to us Brits as you found out last weekend."
"But Peter, I thought....................... Oh!"

A.M. Williams, Stafford,

Just more dithering from this government, they couldn't make a decision if their life depended on it . It is obvious that the government must issue the same guarantee as the other countries or there will be a run on our banks. Darling should just get on and do it, before he does any more damage.

Dave, Bristol, uk