Despite a significant fall in the world oil price over the past couple of weeks, the price of diesel and petrol has continued to rise remorselessly on garage forecourts.

This is one aspect of the great fuel price rip-off that cannot be laid at the door of the tax policies of Gordon Brown. It is the massively profitable oil companies which have some explaining to do.

They seem to pass on any rise in oil prices very quickly to motorists yet, when world crude prices fall, a time lag comes into play. Drivers can be forced to wait weeks or even months before their fuel comes down in price.

There is no direct evidence of collusion between the giant fuel suppliers. That would be illegal. But neither is there much evidence that worries about losing market share spur them into bringing prices down.

As in many parts of the British economy, there is a lack of real competition. It is an all too familiar story of an industry being run for the benefit of big business on the one hand and big government on the other.

The little people called consumers seldom get a look in. The chief focus of their anger is Mr Brown.

But much more dragging their feet on price cuts and the big oil companies will find themselves charged alongside him in the court of public opinion.