Postcards from Spain

[dubliner]

Does anyone know the title and or author of a book published in the 80s which consists of a series of postcards from Spain. A group of british tourists are stuck there, as their return flight is postponed again and again (pilots strike or some such) and it gradually dawns on some of them that they are the victims of a thacherite plot to leave them stranded there forever to reduce the numbers of unemployed. Sounds far-fetched, but it was a great read. I'm fairly sure it was by a major british sci-fi writer, but cannot find it.
Grateful for any help