If there are protests from the Haulliers then this gives Gordon Brown the right to invoke the 'Civil Contingencies Act' which all in all resembles the 'Enabling Act' passed immediately prior to the birth of Nazi Germany by Hitler.
Once Gordy does this he can legitimately suspend elections.

N Jones, S Wales, UK

This Government has done everything it can to remove local food supplies. They hate farmers and the countryside. They have a ministry which does everything it can to reduce farming efficiency, all on the back of cheap imported food. We don't need much transport to live if we buy local production!

David, Belfast, Northern Ireland

One simple question ---If things are so bad in the haulage industry, why are the roads stuffed with more & more lorries each day and each year ? Any sensible business has to pass on rising costs and remain efficient in order to survive. Please -- no nanny state !

J Fisher, Edinburgh,

Just how messed up is the management of this country that the government now goes cap in hand to the most greedy and ruthless free market operators and asks them to do its work because it’s no longer able or competent to do so.

John, South West,

The end of cheap oil is bringing the end of cheap food, transportation, and availability to the masses. Eventually it will also bring the end of Socialism. The massive tax burden of a system will soon implode and millions are going to have to actually be responsible for themselves in the future.

Andrew, San Jose, USA

If a strike happens, & proves to be serious, it will be a good practice run for looming peak oil which will render this country a third world basket case in about 3-5 years from now. Get ready because very bad times are now not far away & the govt. is very tight lipped about it. ie. saying nothing.

Max, Chelmsford, UK

If for whatever reason there was an interuption in the supply of food to the supermarkets, shelves would be stripped bare like a plauge of locusts within a week.
THEN with millions of worried people you'd have emergency rations, curfews and even police/martial law.
Stock up on plenty of tins now!.

T.W James, Guildford., England.

Typically, the Government is trying to get someone else to clean up its problem at their expense, namely the supermarkets. GB doesn't want to back down and reduce tax, so gets Tesco to pay to stockpile food. Of course, Tesco doesn't have a say on this in Cobra meetings. Dissent is not allowed!!

Anthony, Brum,

The uniquely British problem is not the price of oil but the level of tax 'our' government imposes. Tax on fuel is nothing more than a system of rationing with no consideration of food delivery or rural isolation. What will we do when the hauliers, unable to afford these levies, go out of business?

Charis, Hereford, England

Is it the hauliers action they are preparing for or a collapse in the oil supply - most likely Iran shutting down following Israeli/US a bombing campaign? Forget supermarkets-Keep your own stocks at home for when "the infrastructure of the country breaks down" i.e. oil supply

John Smith, manchester, uk

The protesters should learn to live with higher petrol prices - its a fact of life, oil is no longer cheap and we all have to live with it - no special subisidies should be given to lorry drivers but they should be able to charge the real haulage cost.

Joe Hicks, Burgess Hill, West Sussex

Good Luck to the tanker drivers,haulage drivers.They are being brought down by the greed of this robbing government.How noble of this Nu Labour shower to`defer` their 2p tax rise.We know why petrol prices are to high and its not the price of oil.Hope the drives succeed in bringing down Brown.

Norman, Notts,

You have to ask yourself why all this is happening, it's almost as if they couldn't have made it worse if they had tried, but wait, maybe they did?

Our government isn't ours anymore.

tom, Caernarfon, Wales

Everyone's blaming Brown. Put the blame where it really resides - none other than Teflon Tony. This didn't start 1 year ago - it's been coming for ages. Only 2 years to go and counting . . .

Dr Ian Burgess, Bristol,

Just like the 1970's all over again. Oh the nostalgia.

Austin Tassletine, South West, UK

Im surprised any lorries get through in the first place, let alone "just in time", with the state of the roads........Thanks to zanu-labour. Who hate the motorist.

ronnie, bucks, UK

Its not the infrastructure that is broken - its the government! One would have thought they knew about how to do this already - what have they been doing for the past 10 years?

Richard, Plymouth,

And meanwhile, back at number 10, an overweight greedy brown, smiles quietly while he watches Billions in Tax come through his front door, rubbing his hands with glee as he waits for the 2p rise to add to his mountain of cash to waste.

Adrian, Newry, Northern Ireland

Sainsbury stores don't have large stockrooms. Computer controlled system orders goods needed to replenish shelves. Daily deliveries replace what has already sold. Most of a delivery goes straight to the shop floor. What was Stockroom became extra shopfloor sales area. No space left to stockpile food

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

So after 10 years of bungling, corrupt NuLabour, we can look forward to spam, 'national bread', powered egg, fuel rationing, black-outs and feral gangs pillaging our homes.

Well done Gordon!

Colin Soames, London,

It is not only hauliers, but all British citizens should bring the country to a complete halt. This government and indeed all politicians needs a wake-up call. The governments continued arrogance in the face of public opinion on such matters as 42 days detention and the Lisbon Treaty must stop.

Les, Southport, England

Most sensible homemakers have a 'stock ' cupboard don't they? Anyway, with the ever rising cost of fuel it makes sense to do one big shop a month then top up with fresh food from your local farm shop or local grocery shop.In the days when Mum ruled supreme it was known as running a home properly!

Meg, Plymouth, UK

Another crisis caused by Gordon Brown. No doubt people on hearing this story will rush out and stock up on foods and petrol. No wonderd Tesco want to be in on the Cobra meetings - every little helps. Britain seems to be getting more like a communist block country under Comrade Brown.

Andrew, Melbourne, Oz

If our infrastructure is so fragile (some say we are only ever 3 shopping days from violent anarchy), why does our government insist on allowing further immigration into our overcrowded island? Ready-made votes?

Paul Williams, London, England

Everything that ensured survival in 1940-45 - self-sufficiency, stores, local distribution networks, thrift etc has now been dismantled or abandoned. We now rely, more or less, on the distribution network of the three major food retailers. It will be interesting to see how resilient that is.

michael clarke, london, uk

How about we save all the money it would cost to build up stocks and pay ministers and their friends 100k a year salaries and instead lower taxs?

O wait A, thats to sensabile, B, MP's and their mates dont get rich that way!

Mr W Jones, Liverpool, England

""Ministers are in talks with supermarkets""

Why arent they in talks with the Hauliers? The Hauliers aren't the enemy, they need help to stay afloat!!

Phill, The Wirral, England

Is this a uniquely British problem, or are other European countries facing similar situations? Asked another way, is our island outlook providing us with another opportunity to indulge in a scarcity mentality?

Howard Broadwell, Nottingham, England