While the country's MPs are on holiday or visiting their constituencies, the Tory party's campaign to ditch a bed tax ratcheted up a few notches this week. The party has produced a postcard addressed to Chancellor Gordon Brown, highlighting that his latest "money-making" ruse would threaten the future of the Great British Holiday.

"Your new stealth tax will cause the price of a UK holiday to soar, will force local firms out of business and lead to job losses across the country," it added.

Conservative shadow tourism minister Hugo Swire told Caterer: "I took a break from my own holiday in Cornwall to launch our 'Stop The Bed Tax' campaign in Brighton and Bournemouth, where we were handing out ice-creams and encouraging holiday-makers to send our postcards to Gordon Brown, to leave him in no doubt what we think about his plans.

"I am pleased to join forces with Caterer's campaign to kill off this absurd and dangerous proposed tax, and would urge everyone in the tourist industry to work together. Rather than trying to undermine tourism, the Government should be encouraging people to holiday in Britain, and helping the sector to be more competitive and innovative."

To download a postcard, visit www.conservatives.com/bedtax.