Theresa May urged to ‘quickly rule out’ Heathrow expansion by Hounslow Conservatives

Date added: 14 July, 2016

Theresa May has been urged to quickly rule out a third runway at Heathrow by the leader of Hounslow Council ‘s Conservative opposition group. She has already made radical changes to her Cabinet, and had demands to show her hand over airport expansion. Councillor Peter Thompson, leader of Hounslow Conservative Group, said: “I hope that the new PM will quickly rule out a third Heathrow runway. As a local MP she knows only too well that Heathrow expansion would be noisy, polluting and damaging to local communities.”  Ms May’s Maidenhead constituency is close to Heathrow and she has previously raised concerns about noise, night flights and pollution. But she recently told the Evening Standard she would not declare her preference ahead of a formal Cabinet decision on the matter. Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin [replaced on 14th July by Chris Grayling] said following the EU referendum that a decision on airport expansion would now have to wait until October.  The arrival in the Cabinet of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary, as well as the movement of Philip Hammond to Chancellor, and Justine Greening to Education, may make approval of a Heathrow runway more difficult. The likely abolition of the DfT and the inclusion of transport in a future infrastructure department instead mean uncertain times ahead.
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Theresa May urged to ‘quickly rule out’ Heathrow expansion by Hounslow Conservatives

13 JUL 2016  (Get West London)
BY ROBERT CUMBER

The new Prime Minister’s role as a local MP means she knows all about the ‘noise and pollution’ expansion would bring, councillors argue

Theresa May has been urged to quickly rule out a third runway at Heathrow by the leader of Hounslow Council ‘s Conservative opposition group.

The new prime minister was barely given time to get her foot in the door of Number 10 before she faced demands to show her hand over airport expansion.

Councillor Peter Thompson, leader of Hounslow Conservative Group, said: “I hope that the new PM will quickly rule out a third Heathrow runway.

“As a local MP she knows only too well that Heathrow expansion would be noisy, polluting and damaging to local communities.”

Ms May’s Maidenhead constituency is close to Heathrow and she has previously raised concerns about noise, night flights and pollution.

But she recently told the Evening Standard she would not declare her preference ahead of a formal Cabinet decision on the matter.

Her views on the matter are certainly more equivocal than those of Boris Johnson, the initial bookies’ favourite for the top job, who supported closing Heathrow and building a new Thames Estuary airport.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin [replaced on 14th July by Chris Grayling] said following the EU referendum that a decision on airport expansion would now have to wait until October.

Although Mr Thompson wasted no time in pressing the new prime minister over Heathrow, he didn’t dispense with the niceties altogether.

“I congratulate Theresa May MP on becoming Prime Minister today. She will provide us with the strong leadership we need to negotiate the best deal for Britain as we leave the European Union and to make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every single one of us,” he said.

“Theresa May started her political life as a local councillor, serving on the London Borough of Merton for eight years – so she knows the vital role that councillors play in building a better Britain.

“It will be wonderful to have a strong advocate for local government at the highest level of government.”

A London Assembly Member recently became embroiled in a row when he was accused of “betraying” Hillingdon residents by attending a Heathrow event.

[And here is the pitch by Back Heathrow:

‘Out of touch’
However, Back Heathrow campaign director Rob Gray responded to Cllr Thompson’s comments by saying: “Sadly, I fear Mr Thompson is out of touch with many Hounslow residents on this issue. I hope that the new Prime Minister will quickly endorse Heathrow expansion.

“As a local MP, Mrs May knows only too well that a new runway at Heathrow would be an enormously valuable asset to local communities who would benefit from more jobs, investment, skills, training and transport links.

“Unlike Mr Thompson, she should appreciate the significant commitments the airport has made to reduce noise and pollution.

“For too long the government has dithered and delayed making a decision on aviation capacity in the south east.

“Mrs May should now make that decision in both the national and local interest, based on the independent Airports Commission’s unanimous recommendation for a bigger and better Heathrow.”

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/theresa-urged-quickly-rule-out-11607343

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New transport and environment ministers

Chris Graying has been appointed Transport Secretary.

Chris Grayling

EU Referendum: Supported Leave
Grayling made a principled case for Brexit while avoiding personal attacks on colleagues.

Constituency: Epsom and Ewell since 2001
Education: Royal Grammar School, followed by a degree in history from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

Before politics:
Worked in media, joining BBC News in 1985 as a trainee, becoming a producer in 1986. He subsequently worked at Channel 4 before moving back to the BBC, and later ran several television production companies

Political experience
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons (2005)
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport (2005-2007)
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2007-2009)
Shadow Home Secretary (2009-2010)
Minister of State for Employment (2010-2012)
Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice (2012-2015)
Leader of the House of Commons (2015-2016)
Transport secretary (2016)

• Chris Grayling on Climate Change  (from Labour Press)

  CHRIS GRAYLING – Climate change

  BBC Daily Politics    Wednesday 26 February 2014

  Chris Grayling (CG)    Andrew Neil (AN)

  AN: Do you agree with the Prime Minister that what he now calls climate change – used to call global warming – is one of the most serious threats facing mankind?

  CG: Well, there’s no doubt that the whole issue of energy, carbon emissions… I mean the truth is what Ed Miliband was trying to do today was to drive wedges between those who believe strongly in climate change and those who are less sure.

  AN: I didn’t ask you about Mr Miliband; I asked you did you agree with the Prime Minister that climate change is one of the most serious threats facing mankind?

  CG: Climate is clearly a very real issue for us and it’s something where we need to take steps…

  AN: Is it one of the most serious threats facing mankind?

  CG: Well, around the world climate is clearly having a major impact upon different societies and therefore investment in this country in things like flood defences, but also the use of the foreign aid budget…

  AN: Do you believe that manmade climate change is one of the most serious threats facing mankind?

  CG: There’s no doubt that climate change is an issue around the world.

  AN: An issue?

  CG: Well, it’s a very serious issue around the world.

  AN: Lots of things are issues: Ukraine’s an issue; price of bread’s an issue.

  http://press.labour.org.uk/post/77904838293/chris-grayling-on-climate-change

   

Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary of State at DEFRA (Environment and Rural Affairs)

Andrea Leadsom

“New energy minister Andrea Leadsom asked whether climate change was real when she started the job.”

The MP for South Northamptonshire told a parliamentary group that she is now ‘completely persuaded’

Independent. October 2015
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/energy-minister-andrea-leadsom-asked-whether-climate-change-was-real-when-she-started-the-job-a6710971.html

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Three Government departments face closure

14.7.2016

Posted: Thursday, July 14th, 2016. Filed in General News, News about Airports, Recent News.