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Chris Bryant | Is it not a bizarre moment when a party leader has to write to his members to sa...

10:47Chris Bryant

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Is it not a bizarre moment when a party leader has to write to his members to say he respect them?
Cristina Odone | The big winner of last night's gay marriage vote is the metrosexualestablishment

10:38Telegraph politics blog

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The "establishment" used to look like the cast of Yes, Minister. They were grey-haired, bowler-hatted and church-going. They spoke the Queen's English and believed in Queen and country. Many hailed fr...
The economy is healing after Labour's enormous bust. Inflation down. Deficit dow...

10:23Greg Hands

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The economy is healing after Labour's enormous bust. Inflation down. Deficit down. Youth unemployment down. Stock market record high.
Mark Ferguson | Is party politics dying out?

10:23LabourList

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This week has brought the role of party members and activists back to the front pages. That’s rather unusual to be honest – and rightly so, as party members (swivel eyed and otherwise) make up only 1%...
Jerry Hayes | Gay marriage vote: why it's groundhog day for the Tories

10:14Comment is Free

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Warm words won't increase Chinese tourism

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Brits announced for Montreal World Championships

14th August 2012

The British Air Transport Association has said that the government must take action on aviation taxes and capacity if they are serious about creating a "post-Olympics tourism revolution".

In a speech today Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government wants to increase the number of overseas visitors to the UK from just over 30 million today to 40 million by 2020.

He also said there would be a focus on China, with marketing campaigns and "improvements to the visa system and work with airlines and aviation authorities to improve the number of flight connections to China".

Simon Buck, Chief Executive of the British Air Transport Association, said:

"It is all very well to call for new direct services to China, but with the highest taxes on flying in the world and a severe shortage of airport capacity in the south east of England, we need government action rather than merely warm words and aspirations.

"Spending more money on marketing Britain to the world is welcome, but that in itself won’t do anything to address the barriers of tax and airport capacity shortages that the UK faces."

Mr Hunt said that the Olympics "should be for Britain what Usain Bolt is for athletics – something that grabs the attention of the whole world and refuses to let it go."