SIR - The Tory Party is spending a fortune in heaping personal abuse on Ed Miliband.

This is cowardly given that David Cameron is refusing to meet Ed Miliband in a face to face debate on TV. The latest waste of money from the Tory coffers is the production of a poster.

The poster suggests that Ed Miliband is in the pocket of former leader of the Scottish Nationalists Alex Salmond.

Some of us have got a good memory and remember in 1979 when Margaret Thatcher moved a motion of no confidence in the Labour Government of Jim Callaghan.

She achieved it with the support of eight SNP members of parliament!

Callaghan mocked Thatcher in the ‘no confidence’ debate.

He said: “So the Conservative Party which wants the Scotland Act repealed and opposes devolution, will march through the lobby with the SNP which wants independence and the Liberals who want to keep the act!’”

Callaghan called it a massive display of unsullied principle!

Now, 36 years later the Tories have an unprincipled leader who is frightened of open debate with the leader of the Labour Party.

John Appleyard, Firthcliffe Parade, Liversedge