David Cameron can do the slick PR, but can he answer the tough questions – like why he thinks now is the right time to put an extra 10p tax on unleaded petrol.

A promise on fuel tax which David Cameron made to win headlines in July would now add millions of pounds to British families’ tax bills because of changing oil prices. For all his smooth patter, the truth is Mondeo drivers would now be paying £7 a tank more because of David Cameron’s schoolboy error.

He was happy to highlight this promise when it was launched but today he is keeping very quiet about its real impact on family budgets.  Just like with his other vague pledges to increase “green taxes”, David Cameron doesn’t want to come clean with people about his plans.

When times are tough and people are worried about their cost of living, this just shows the risk of putting a headline-seeking novice in charge.

The example above is based on the Tories’ own costings of filling up a Ford Mondeo with a 70 litre fuel tank.  The cost of 70 litres of unleaded petrol is now, on average, £61.60 according to the Tories' own sources.  Under the Conservatives, it would be an extra £7, or £68.60 in total.

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