First published in The Independent on Sunday, 26 October 2008 Once again Gordon Brown has energy policy all wrong. Even before OPEC announced an output cut of 1.5 million barrels per day, the prime minister had denounced the move as "absolutely scandalous", fearing it would force the oil price higher just as the world slides into recession. (more…)...

First published in the Independent on Sunday, 22 June 2008 It must be increasingly lonely being Tony Hayward. As the oil price continues to soar there is a gathering consensus that global oil production is nearing some fundamental geological limits, yet BP's chief executive continues to argue valiantly that the causes of the current oil shock are "not so much below ground as above it, and not geological but political"...

First published in the Independent on Sunday, 25 May 2008 Never mind speculation, forget the weak dollar. To understand the soaring oil price you need only glance at figures from the US government which show that global oil production has been essentially stagnant - at just under 86 million barrels per day - since early 2005. (more…)...