Cabinet split over Heathrow expansion

Rumours have been flying around for the last few days that the government would make an announcement on a third runway at Heathrow on Tuesday, but the BBC just reported that the government is delaying the announcement until January because of a split in the cabinet.

It’s good to see Gordon Brown is finally feeling the heat over Heathrow expansion.

Last month, 57 Labour MPs signed an early day motion that called the government's plans for a third runway "deeply flawed" because it doesn’t pay significant attention to the impact that the increased flights, and therefore emissions, will have on climate change.

The Tories and Lib Dems have already come out firmly against a third runway or any increase in flights at Heathrow.

The government is committed to an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and that includes aviation emissions. But a third runway at Heathrow would make it the biggest source of emissions in the UK.

With the world’s environment ministers arriving in Poznan over the next few days to negotiate global emissions reductions, the UK would be putting two fingers up to the rest of the world if the government announced the third runway this week.

In a statement this morning transport secretary Geoff Hoon said: "I know that there are strong views across a range of interests. I will ensure that I give proper consideration to the evidence before me and will therefore take more time before making an announcement to the House, in January 2009."

This split in cabinet means we can still stop this mad scheme before it gets started, by keeping up the pressure on the government and back the opposition to a third runway. 

Please take two minutes to write to your MP and tell him/her that you don't want a third runway or any increase in flights at Heathrow, and you won't vote for any party that does support airport expansion.