Boris Johnson casts doubt over Heathrow expansion and HS2 – would “find a way to honour” the bulldozer promise…
In an interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC, Boris Johnson said he would still consider lying down in front of bulldozers, if work started on a Heathrow 3rd runway. Boris said: “Heathrow is a private sector project which is yet to satisfy its strict legal obligations on air quality and noise pollution.” NF Question: If the bulldozers were to appear, would you lie down in front of them? Boris reply: “I would have to find some way of honouring that promise. It might be technically difficult to achieve.” NF Question: You will find a technical way to lie down in front of the bulldozers, if the work starts on the 3rd runway? Boris reply: “Let’s wait and see when the bulldozer arrives. The issue with Heathrow, as you know, is that there is still substantial doubt about the ability of the promoters to meet their obligations on air quality and noise pollution. But as you know, Parliament has voted very substantially in favour of that project, so that is where we are on Heathrow.”
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Boris Johnson casts doubt over Heathrow expansion and HS2
9 December 2019, (LBC)
Boris Johnson has cast doubt over whether a third runway will be built at Heathrow Airport – and questioned whether the money spent on HS2 could be used better.
The plan for expansion has been approved by parliament but there are a number of ongoing legal challenges.
The Prime Minister has previously promised to lie down in front of the bulldozers at Heathrow. And speaking exclusively to Nick Ferrari, he said he would find a way to “technically” back that promise.
In the past, the Prime Minister promised to lie down in front of the bulldozers to stop a third runway, so Nick asked if that was still his position.
Nick said: “If you’re a man who says he can deliver on promises, were the bulldozers to appear, would you lie down in front of them?”
The PM insisted: “I would have to find some way of honouring that promise. It might be technically difficult to do.”
Asked about whether he wants to continue with HS2, he added: “We’ve got a review going on to look at whether the money could be better spent.
“That’s not to say I am temperamentally hostile to big infrastructure projects. But the issue is we’re a new administration. If you come in and there’s a project of north of £100billion probably, you have to ask yourself, it’s only responsible to the taxpayer to ask whether it’s being sensibly spent and that funding is being prioritised right.”
The government currently have the budget for HS2 at £88billion, so Nick questioned how he managed to add an extra £13billion to the total.
Mr Johnson responded: “Looking at how these things go, it probably will come in at over £100billion, that’s my guess. But at the moment, you’re right, it’s £88billion. That is still an awful lot of money.”
https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nick-ferrari/boris-johnson-heathrow-expansion-hs2d/