So a meeting between our Chancellor and the Supermarket chiefs about the nation's food prices is - wait for it - private?!!? Sarko had a meeting with the French supermarket chiefs and told them to keep their overall inflation down to a fixed percentage. And they did. Don't hold your breath here...

john problem, winchester, uk

I suppose thats what we get for allowing these Supermarkets to roll in and destroy the local producers and suppliers.
They've got us over a barrel now.

Phill , The Wirral, England

this is rich... the supermarkets are only passing on the rises that have been caused by the ridiculously high price of petrol & diesel in this country... If he slashed the duty on petrol & diesel by 20 pence a liter then prices should fall back...

paulc, gloucester,

What on earth does Darling think he can achieve by this, other than spin and propaganda? It is just grandstanding! Rising food prices are totally out of the control of either the Government or the food industry. It is excessive Government spending and borrowing which should be concerning Mr Darling!

Richard, Kidderminster, England

The king is wearing no clothes!

D Halley, liverpool,

Production costs are up, due to GB wanting green diesel. Fuel (delivery) prices are up, helped by the massive amount of tax (GB again). Heating/lighting costs are up (world economics). It's not difficult to see why food prices are going up, unless you're the chancellor apparently.

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

The fact is food prices are rising all over the world – Britain has not been singled out, ask any other European country. With the growing economies of China and India etc trying to get a decent dinner we in the west have to learn to share – for once!

Mark, Malmö, Sweden

People will have to get used to eating the cheaper cuts of offal and oats will make a comeback as a wonder cereal! Scotish agriculture should boom. Porridge for breakfast with salt and hardy walk round St. James´s Park, Prime Minister.

Charles Morgan , Madrid, Spain.

It is an unsustainable attitude to work that is sinking the economy. Creating costly jobs through building management structures (notably public sector, education & NHS) rather than essential infrastructure is fuelling inflation.Manufacturing & farming are turned into property & land speculation.

andy, london,

We need a prices and incomes policy imposed by the Govt. In fact we already have an incomes policy imposed on Public Sector workers, just extend it to everyone else.

dave kinsley, derby, uk

We are at a crossroads - economicaly and politically. We urgently need to slash public spending and give taxes back to our people. We could start by handing back the extra tax revenue raised on transport and home energy. Inaction will lead to a series of social and financial crises!

Steve Marchant, Broadhempston, UK

Perhaps if this Goverment and Local Authorities stopped the constant tax rises it keeps burdening business with we might be able to reduce or at least stablise some of these price increases. After a two week holiday in Portugal I was shocked at the level food price increases in just two weeks.

Dave, Mold, Flintshire

Is Mr. Darling is going to meet with the Supermarket Guru's to take advice on how to run a successful business?

Mike O Connor, plymouth,

Why has the BOE been cutting interest rates since last December which has resulted in a 15% fall in the value of the pound?Surely their job is to control inflation,not attempt to rescue a falling housing market.

stephen hulton, eure, france

Oh Darling! He is as about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. This Government has wasted the mass of tax collected during the good times and has saved nothing for the bad times. So much for Gordon Brown's prudence!
Petrol is going up a 1p a week, yet he still wants to waste billions on ID cards

Pete Smith, Crewe,