Though oil price relative to US Dollar has fallen, so has Sterling which means oil in Pounds has fallen by much less. Surely Gordon Brown understands this? Hang on, isn't this the same Gordon Brown who told us to waste less food just before sitting down to a meal of over a dozen courses in Japan?

john, london, UK

Legislation in this area whould be brought about. The french limit the price rises that energy companies can bring about. I think now some commodities such as energy and fuel are now too important to be left to market forces and action needs to be taken to stabilise this for the many.

mike, london,

brown could cut tax on petrol I demand he does!


That didnt work either!!!!

Eddy, bolton,

The small retailer is charged for and pays the 'factory gate' price at time of collection/delivery. It may be that your local retailer has tanks filled at the older higher price, do you expect them to lose money on their stock at the risk of going bust. They need to have money for the next load.

Barry P, Havant, England

What about the American inventor of 1970's who developed an engine to run on water. This was buried years ago but it is fact.

John Finningham, Gillingham, Kent

As the price of crude has already fallen, this faux-command has the sole intention of improving Gordon Brown's image.

He thinks the voters will mistake sequence for consequence.

Steve Buckel, Braunau-am-Inn, Austria

cannot understand OPEC ,or maybe i do, greed ,on their part, as soon as markets go ,up goes the oil price, OPEC says ! concerned about the deteriorating economic conditions! that is contradictiory?

Jim, doneglal, ireland

11.5 years at the helm of the financial affairs of the country and he's just woken up!
Time for him to go, and go quickly & take his cronies with him.

JP, northampton,

I am concerned that the price of diesel never gets a mention - it used to be very close to the price of petrol now it is a considerable premium. The diesel price in France is very much lower than petrol so why not here ?.The cost of diesel is factored into food and is hitting business - Gordon HELP!

peter street, newent, uk

Prices go up: oil company immediately increases price. Prices go down: oil company reluctant to drop price.

Oil companies buy futures so in theory there should be a delay between oil rises and petrol rises. There isn't; they cash in. So when the price falls, they should be forced to drop prices.

Andrew, Fareham,

Filled up yesterday: 154 yen a litre, 54 yen tax. Convert at 173 yen to the pound (are we buying or selling?), but this is a pricey area and they did throw in a car wash. So, £0.89 a litre. But at least with a stronger yen there's the prospect of a reduction in imported gin and whisky prices.

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan

What, can't we bail out the commodities market, it only takes a few Billion. Those who scraped by week by week on small incomes, can pay. They didn't create a boom, so why should they enjoy any bonuses. They have a duty to refinance, out of meagre pay, those who did. This society is classless.

TONY, ROCHDALE, ENGLAND

As the price of crude has already fallen, this faux-command has the sole intention of improving Gordon Brown's image.

He thinks the voters will mistake sequence for consequence.

He would also order trees to produce more oxygen and the sun to shine longer if he thought he could get away with it.

Steve Buckel, Braunau-am-Inn, Austria

Perhaps King Canute Brown should just command lower prices.

Brad, Towson, MD, USA

Political posturing is remarkable from Brown. He is claiming the financial bailout as his - as the US needed someone to act first as it went totally against the free market - and now he will claim he has produced a fall in petrol prices! We are not idiots. General election please

G, Worcester,

Of course Mr Brown is playing politics here. And why should the public mind, if it benefits them by reducing petrol bills?

Paul Francis, Brisbane, Australia

Its disgusting the price the British have to pay for petrol. Its not all that far off half the price here in New Zealand and it has to come further. You deserve better...

Neil Madsen, Auckland, New Zealand

I work for big oil, bugs the hell out of me when they quickly raise fuel prices but slow to drop them, especially when big oil tries to cut employee benefits.

Having said that high fuel cost in UK is largely Gordo's taxes.

When will we see flight fuel surcharges drop?

Fred Bloggs, Expat, Malaysia

if he wants to help the UK citizenns then clamp down on the energy companies who have hiked prices 2 or 3 times this years by at total of 60% when, in particular, natural gas prices and, latterly oil has fallen dramatically. natural gas rose only during an early summer spike.

A.M. Williams, Stafford,

Fuel, income, VAT, capital gains, road fund, inheritance + + + taxes fund Britain's economy providing infrastructure; roads, housing, national health, pensions, education, unemployment benefits and many other vital provisions. Why the persistent bleating by some people? Do you know a better way?

NDG, Tokyo, Japan

He taxes the Oil Companies when they produce it , he taxes and adds Vat when we buy it , taxes here , taxes there . And where has it all gone - can any one tell me ? - do we have a huge fund of money to fall back on ?
No !! he wasted it as chancellor and wastes it now , look inward Gordon .

JJ, Stoke ,

only a few months ago Gordon Brown was talking about fixing petrol prices so that the price went up with oil prices but did not come down if oil price dropped. This was an idea to curb energy consumption and so reduce CO2 emissions. How about that for a U-turn!!!

hill, London ,

Brown appears close to being out of control
since his great redemption of the Banks,
which he had no alternative in doing. He acts as if it was a brilliant idea made by a financial genius . Unfortunately the poor
deluded fool thinks he doesn't have involvement in the price of fuel.

Baz, Christchurch,

Does Gordon not realise that many garages are owned by small businessmen? They need to make a living. Getting supermarkets and oil cos to put prices down will put the independents out of business - nice one Gord. More than 50% of the pump price is tax, so who has the onus to reduce prices?

Elaine, Gloucester, Glos

I find it amusing as I run my car on veg oil - I buy in bulk & pay 55p a litre - I avoid filling stations the best I can!!

Sam Petes, Brighton, UK

Yes Sam, but you're also required to account for the fuel duty which I take it you may have forgotten if you're boasting about paying 55p/litre

Martin, Reading , UK

Distribution sets the pricing and the discounts for chain customers. But one station much higher then the same brand close by should be grounds for arrest in the current financial climate. Aren't looters arrested?

Ron Chev, Welloiled Beach, U.K.

Folks, you are all missing the point here. Brown wants the base price of petrol to drop to something less than 20p/litre, so that he can increase the tax on it, while the retail price remains below £1. So an oil price slump will not lead to a petrol price slump at the forecourts.

Paul, Coventry,

what a clown , whil eth ereal soviet uniuon has collapsed because intervention doesnt work komrade brown is trying to create a new soviet union in uk

steve , moscow, russia

How can we compete with the USA when they have petrol for £1.50 a gallon. Doesn't do much for us trying to compete on level playing field with our greatest ally or worldwide.
And by the way if they are in big trouble with their low interest rates for mortgages or loans then God help us.

WILLIAM BEATTIE, COATBRIDGE, SCOTLAND

Brown telling OPEC what to do? Pull the other one. OPEC will do what is in the best interests of its members. As for all these rules about banks - how about imposing such rules on politicians which can be policed properly? Maybe that will get their snouts of the trough.

Dr I Burgess, Bristol,

Shouldn't the correct title be "Gordon Brown demands headlines"
does he think we have forgotten who was Chancellor when the foundation of this mess was laid?

Andy, Worthing, UK

Brown is just playing politics and the press seem to lap it up. First he requires banks to keep lending to 2007 levels and hopes house prices recover, and now he raging at petrol distributors. The market will adjust in its own time and form a sounder base for the future.

James, London,

what dis Mr Brown do when fuel was £1.34 a litre? NOTHING

Mike, Sole Street, England

when will the price gap between unleaded and diesel reduce?

Mike, Sole Street, England

KeithW - head over to Wallasey Village, where petrol is a snip at £1.03. According to PetrolPrices.com (with which I am in no way affiliated), that's the cheapest nearby.

Ade, Wallasey, UK

Just the same situation occurs in the US. I would also suggest that it is in the interests of some political parties and their relationships with oil companies.

Derek, Mebane, USA

Gordon Brown cannot afford to reduce the tax on petrol as he has spent and wasted so much over the past ten years. He has systematically milked private businesses and private pension funds. A leopard does not change its spots.

Roger Parkes, Tunbridge Wells, UK

How can you compare the cost of fuel in the Phillipines with that charged in England. There is no welfare state in this poor country run by despots and milked by expatriates.

B Yexley, Ferndown, England

Oh dear, Brown is starting to believe his own spin and hype. It's not you bringing down petrol prices, Prime Minister, it's the recession you've created. Next he'll be thinking he can hold back the tide.

Paul Owen, Birmingham, UK

Yes Oil companies and other fuel providers need to bring prices down ASAP, but let us not forget the Mr Brown and co, collect around 70% tax on every ltr we put in our cars. They did not reduce this tax when oil was over $140 a barrel.

Andrew Sutherland , Leeds , England

If the price of oil has crashed back down to what it was well before gas prices went up, how long do we have to wait before British Gas et al announce a 35% price reduction?!

I demand a price cut!

Mike, Harrow, England

With government tax on petrol at 75-80%, a major fall in price can only happen if Gordon Brown reduces the tax. Otherwise we talk pennies while the government rakes in millions. Here in the Philippines, petrol prices are about half the price of the UK. Why conceal the truth always?

Brian Lewis, Manila, Philippines

Funnily enough I was filling my car at Tesco garage Birkenhead today and whilst doing so saw the box selling the daily papers clearly visible from the pumps and stating petrol prices are below £1. Not at Tesco I paid £1.13p why ?

KeithW, Wirral , UK

"Brown demands", Britains biggest problem sits in No10 demanding our attention. Fuel prices are already coming down, I guess Brown will claim this as down to his rants from No 10. Unemployment up, small businesses collapsing and banks crushed. Britain demands better leadership than this autocrat!

rob, chesterfield,

High fuel costs threaten stagflation, but cutting fuel duty is impossible with public spending commitments and the cost of bailing out the banks.

Also, Brown's personal stock is pretty much as high as it's ever going to be right now, so if Labour lose another by-election then they've had it.

Tim, Edinburgh,

Bryan demands Brown tells him what he did with the extra trillion he took in tax and exactly how much he has hocked UK PLC for with his PFI fiasco - in an itemised million by million list Mr Brown please as it was our money you took by force and used as your own - glass houses, stones etc,etc

Bryan, Totland, UK

Brown told journalists that “hard-working families” in the UK would start to feel the benefit of efforts to bring down oil prices and ease the cost of borrowing...

However when the prices go up, opec and market forces are to blame. The electorate are not morons.

adam davis, London,

He obviously wants to get on the right side the tabloid readers!

John, London,

The government should dictate fuel prices as they do interest rates. There should be a standard price set which closely rides the oil price. By doing this petrol stations would not be allowed to to sell fuel by more than 10% at which the price is capped and penalty for trying to do so would fines.

John, Cardiff, UK

I find it amusing as I run my car on veg oil - I buy in bulk & pay 55p a litre - I avoid filling stations the best I can!!

Sam Petes, Brighton, UK

I demand Gordon Brown reduces fuel tax.

Nick, Leeds,

Gordon Brown calls for a reduction in prices - but how soon will we see him using this as an excuse to raise taxes even more, with the excuse that we can now afford it because petrol is cheaper?

Mike, Nottingham,

What if the petrol station owners don't comply? Is Brown & Co. going to nationalise them too?

Collin Brown, Cotgrave, Nottingham

Gordon Brown knows very well that petrol prices will eventually fall once the backlog of supply works throught thsystem. This is another example of Brown posteuring to make himself look good when prices eventually fall. The man is a complete fraud.

Luigi, Aberdeen,

Current petrol/diesel at the pumps was not made from oil bought at today's price.
true !
but when it went up
the stock had been bought at the lower prices ! swings /etc
supply and demand had kept pace according to the times
it was just market boyz playing there daft games that caused an increase

tony, B-Ham , UK

G Brown reduce fuel tax? There's more chance of global economic meltdown leading to millions of unemployed, pensioners freezing to death this winter an uncontrolled immigration being stopped.

pat, limassol, cyprus

Of course, what choice do consumers have? All the oil companies have to do is dig in their heels. Not likely to be a boycott is there?

Sean, Manchester,

The reason it doesn't go down as quickly as it goes up in line with the cost of a barrel of oil is simple, so they can make more money. They know you will pay a higher price, so why lower it? What is GB going to do, subsidise petrol prices as well as banks? How about clothes, food, white goods......

Christian, Southampton, UK

Let garages demand that Brown reduce the 80% tax take on each litre of fuel.

John, Tamworth, UK

They will charge you what you'll pay for.

peter, Appleton, Cheshire

It is amusing that Gordon Brown insists that petrol companies reduce the price of fuel.We the electorate,insist that Gordon Brown reduces the Vat ,& the duty on fuel.A combination of both would be very welcome.Come on Gordon ,lead by example.

Ken Davies, Barry,VALE OF glamorgan, Wales

Sounds like jumping on a passing bandwagon.Also remember oil is priced in dollars.The pound has fallen in the same period by
14% now that is something GB can claim to have been indirectly responsible for reflecting debt worries.

rogerb, bridport,

How about we rid ourselves of fuel duty tax, and pay HALF as much for the underpinning lifeblood of economy?

Makes sense, but not to socialists like brown.

Jacques, Kent,

prices should drop as fast as they increase, there seems to be a huge lag in the time taken for prices to drop. there is no reason for this! output remains the same.

Liam, Aberdeen, Scotland

Current petrol/diesel at the pumps was not made from oil bought at today's price. But if Brown is so concerned he could reduce the tax take. I echo what others have said about gas. Why isn't the price of gas being reduced?

Ian , Bristol,

Same here in france! Some charge you as much as € 1.67 ( £1.31!!!) and the average price for unleaded 95 grade is still around , € 1.28 ( £1.02)...As for taxes, you are sooo right.....but that's another story.

pascal-pierre, Dinan ( france), EU

If Gordon Brown is so concerned about suppliers reducing the cost of petrol why doesn't he reduce the amount tax that we have to pay on it - and what is effectively the highest fuel duty in the world!

peterj, aberdeen, UK

well done our leader !! - now he has realised he can actually make changes, lets see him force the utilitiy companies to reduce their prices since it was rising oil prices that pushed them up as well!! its freezing up here in Scotland...

JMC, Ayr, Scotland

Aaah. Gordon really is on our side. Quick, forget that he has led our country into financial and economic disaster.

Paul, Brighton,

In my view, if the Government were to reduce the tax on petrol there is no certainty that retailers would pass on the increase.
Retailers and the Oil companies would use some of the reduction to "maintain their margins".
So GB is right to shame them into making reductions.

Alan Hargreaves, Holywell, UK

And what about gas and electricity prices? Let's see how speedily prices come down there. Not noticed any announcements myself!

John, Birmingham,

Makes sense. Our Leader wants prices to come down so that we don't notice as much when his Chancellor puts 2p (or more) on a litre in the next Budget.
Now he needs to get on the case of the power generators and suppliers.

Graham, Bradford, West Yorkshire

And WE demand that you reduce the fuel duty Gordon. That makes up about 75% of the price.

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

Haha! How much of that £1 goes in TAX?!!!

James J, London, UK

Thankyou so much Prime Minister, do nothing for folks that face higher electric and gas prices, let the energy companies ride roughshod, but make a political point on petrol, did New Labour ever study the principals of Socialism?

C Darken, Nantwich, UK

What a flipping cheek! Crash Gordon takes twice as much as the oil producers and retailers combined, for every litre of fuel sold. Why doesn't he reduce his share if he is so concerned all of a sudden?

Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland

Why doesn't he slash the tax on fuel then.....? That's the biggest portion of the cost

Phil, Preston,

The Beloved Leader has worked his socks off for eleven years to bring about this recession. Can anyone else name one solitary thing other than that which he has done to bring the cost of oil down?

George Ball, Diss,

To say that Brown has no power to reduce the cost of fuel is completely untrue - all he has to do is reduce the obscenely high rates of tax that he charges.

Simon, The Hague,

What a hypocrite this man is, why doesn't HE follow the supermarkets example and reduce the obsene level of duty on fuel.
pot - kettle - black

Kev, Swansea,

But over 70% of the pump price is government charges that are completely out of control of the petrol companies.

If Brown wants petrol pump prices to fall, lower this charge then!

This government is absolutely insane. It's getting worse by the day.

Laura Roberts, London, UK

The price of Brent oil is not around $80 a barrel. Todays price is below $70 a barrel, so expect the price at the pump to be even lower in the near future.
Pity the energy companies have not lower their prices yet

simon, london, uk