Airports face ‘hostility’ from both Labour and Tories, says former transport minister
Both Labour and the Conservatives have been accused of “hostility” towards Britain’s airports, amid concerns over whether the expansion of Heathrow will go ahead under the next government.
This morning, former Labour aviation minister Jim Fitzpatrick said that politicians in Westminster are “nowhere near” catering to the needs of the airport industry.
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He said both Labour and the Conservatives’ manifestos for the upcoming General Election were “weak” and “hostile,” as a result of lobbying by environmental groups such as the Green party and Extinction Rebellion.
Addressing a gathering of industry bosses, he said: “Right across the board, you have lost the argument [with politicians]. And you continue to lose the argument.”
Speaking at an event in London, he said if his own party came to power at next month’s General Election, it would throw into doubt the future of the expansion project at Heathrow, which Parliament voted in favour of in 2018.
He said people should expect “hostility from Jeremy [Corbyn] and in particular from John McDonnell about Heathrow”.
It comes after McDonnell said a Labour government could scrap the project because it “doesn’t qualify” for the party’s environmental criteria.
Furthermore, Labour manifesto says: “Labour recognises the Davies Commission’s assessment of pressures on airport capacity in the South East. Any expansion of airports must pass our tests on air quality, noise pollution, climate change obligations and countrywide benefits.”
Separately, earlier this week Prime Minister Boris Johnson was taken to task on comments he made in 2015 while he was mayor of London, that he would “lie down in front of those bulldozers” rather than see the airport expand.
Environmental group Greenpeace brought a bulldozer to his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency on Tuesday, whereupon Labour’s Ali Milani, who is challenging Johnson for the seat, laid in front of it in opposition to the expansion.
Speaking alongside Fitzpatrick was former Conservative transport secretary Patrick McCloughlin, who is stepping down as an MP at the General Election. He defended the Conservatives’ position on Heathrow, and insisted it would go ahead under a Johnson-led government.
“But,” he continued, “it does need, on Heathrow, to meet certain criteria.”
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The Tory manifesto reads: “Parliament has voted in principle to support a third runway at Heathrow, but it is a private sector project. It is for Heathrow to demonstrate that it can meet its air quality and noise obligations, that the project can be financed and built and that the business case is realistic. The scheme will receive no new public money.”
Johnson and transport secretary Grant Shapps have stated that they will be watching the current judicial review procedures “very closely”.