I listened to the Conservative Party Conference last week and was amazed at the opportunism shown by many of their shadow cabinet members in the way they latched on to populist policies without highlighting where the money is coming from to pay for them.

The Conservatives have guaranteed to cut £16 billion out of public services, but they will not answer the question of which services they would cut.

Having called Labour's extra investment in schools and hospitals unaffordable, the Tories have also committed themselves to a further £3 billion tax cuts without identifying where a single saving would be made.

How can you take Tory economic policy seriously when they seem unable to deal with key issues on tax and spending?

Tax pledges from the Conservatives have no credibility. When Michael Portillo was treasury chief secretary the Tories broke their promises on tax 22 times.

They also introduced VAT on fuel despite specifically promising not to; and it should not be forgotten that it was the Conservatives who introduced the fuel duty escalator.

The Tories are a party of opportunists. I remember William Hague giving an interview on GMTV in September of this year when he said "We wouldn't cut taxes today because there has been a protest yesterday you can't run a country like that''.

Well I'm sure most sensible people would agree with him, but then a month later he does exactly the opposite by getting on the fuel crisis' bandwagon by saying that the Tories would lower fuel tax by 3p a litre. The Tories may be serious opportunists but they are not a serious opposition.

DAVID WREN

Eastmere

Swindon