Government Majority Slashed by Two Thirds on Heathrow
the Government’s majority was slashed by two-thirds. It scraped home by a mere
19 votes. If 8 Democratic Unionists had voted with the opposition parties instead
of the Government, Labour’s majority would have been down to one. As it was,
this was the biggest rebellion on an opposition motion since Labour came to power
in 1997.
ministerial posts in opposition to the Government’s plans for a 3rd runway.
for the Government’s plans to build a 3rd runway. It becomes less likely by the
day that the runway will ever be built."
Diane Abbott, Harry Cohen, Jeremy Corbyn, Frank Dobson, Kate Hoey, John McDonnell,
Andrew Mackinlay, Bob Marshall-Andrews, Nick Raynsford, Martin Salter, Virendra
Sharma, Andrew Slaughter and Andrew Smith.
Government scrapes home in Heathrow expansion vote
on Wednesday after a ministerial aide quit in disgust over the plan. The debate
saw a series of protests from Labour backbenchers. The government’s majority
of 63 was cut to 19 (297 votes to 278) in a Commons vote after Andrew Slaughter
resigned as a PPS. After the vote Labour MP Virendra Sharma quit an unpaid government
post to fight the plans. 57 Labour MPs had previously signed EDM 2344, of whom
28 voted for the Conservative motion. (BBC and Telegraph) 28.1.2009
airport but saw its majority cut to 19.
the government to “rethink” its plans. They were:
Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington) Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead) Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras) David Drew (Stroud) Frank Field (Birkenhead) Paul Flynn (Newport West) Ian Gibson (Norwich North) John Grogan (Selby) Kate Hoey (Vauxhall) Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) Lynne Jones (Birmingham Selly Oak) Peter Kilfoyle (Liverpool Walton) John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington) Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock) Bob Marshall-Andrews (Medway) Michael Meacher (Oldham West & Royton) George Mudie (Leeds East) Chris Mullin (Sunderland South) Gordon Prentice (Pendle) Nick Raynsford (Greenwich & Woolwich) Martin Salter (Reading West) Virendra Sharma (Ealing Southall) Alan Simpson (Nottingham South) Andrew Slaughter (Ealing Acton & Shepherd’s Bush) Andrew Smith (Oxford East) David Taylor (Leicestershire North West)
at Heathrow Airport and to give full consideration to alternative solutions; regrets
the Government’s heavy reliance on data supplied by BAA in assessing the case
for expansion and notes the likely forthcoming break-up of BAA’s ownership of
three of 5 London’s airports following the investigation by the Competition Commission;
believes that the consultation paper Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport was deeply
flawed, as it paid insufficient regard to the costs of air and noise pollution
in the surrounding areas and the commitment to curb carbon dioxide emissions to
tackle climate change; regrets the fact that provisions to improve high-speed
rail lines from 10 Heathrow to major cities have not been fully explored, along
with the potential of other UK airports to handle more long-haul flights; and
urges the Government to initiate a consultation on a new national planning policy
statement on the theme of airports and high-speed rail.”
the motion, were:
Bayley, Hugh
Berry, Roger
Caton, Martin
Challen, Colin
Chaytor, David
Clwyd, Ann
Cruddas, Jon
Cryer, Ann
Dean, Janet
Gerrard, Neil
Godsiff, Roger
Hamilton, Fabian
Heyes, David
Illsley, Eric
Keen, Alan
Linton, Martin
McCafferty, Chris
Murphy, Denis
Olner, Bill
Palmer, Nick
Riordan, Linda
Soulsby, Peter
Stoate, Howard
Taylor, David
Thornberry, Emily
Tipping, Paddy
Truswell, Paul
Turner, Desmond
Vis, Rudi