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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/25/zacs-departure-delayed-after-failed-takeoff-from-commons-runway
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| Zac's departure delayed after failed takeoff from Commons runway | Zac's departure delayed after failed takeoff from Commons runway |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| This ought to have been Zac Goldsmith’s big moment. The chance for redemption after allowing himself to be suckered into an unpleasant and hapless campaign to be elected London mayor. The chance to show he is a politician of integrity who isn’t afraid to stand up to his own party on the big stage. | This ought to have been Zac Goldsmith’s big moment. The chance for redemption after allowing himself to be suckered into an unpleasant and hapless campaign to be elected London mayor. The chance to show he is a politician of integrity who isn’t afraid to stand up to his own party on the big stage. |
| It turned out to be the resignation that wasn’t. Theresa May was expecting it. She had made a point of scuttling out of the Commons seconds before Goldsmith got up to speak; public embarrassments are always best avoided. | It turned out to be the resignation that wasn’t. Theresa May was expecting it. She had made a point of scuttling out of the Commons seconds before Goldsmith got up to speak; public embarrassments are always best avoided. |
| His constituency association was expecting it and had even emailed its members to say he was going to resign. The only MP in the House who wasn’t expecting Zac to use the transport secretary’s Heathrow statement as the stage for his resignation speech condemning the decision turned out to be Zac himself. | |
| Zac started strongly, declaring the government had made the wrong decision, that Heathrow expansion was doomed because of rising costs and legal complications and would be a constant source of anger and betrayal. | Zac started strongly, declaring the government had made the wrong decision, that Heathrow expansion was doomed because of rising costs and legal complications and would be a constant source of anger and betrayal. |
| Zac paused for dramatic effect and the government front bench waited for the coup de grâce. “And … and ... and …” Zac stuttered. “And … I really don’t like it.” | Zac paused for dramatic effect and the government front bench waited for the coup de grâce. “And … and ... and …” Zac stuttered. “And … I really don’t like it.” |
| Chris Failing-Grayling couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been told to prepare for the worst and all he’d got was a little light flak. Who cared if Zac resigned later in the day? It wouldn’t have nearly the same impact as if he’d done so in the house. Zac had blown it. | Chris Failing-Grayling couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been told to prepare for the worst and all he’d got was a little light flak. Who cared if Zac resigned later in the day? It wouldn’t have nearly the same impact as if he’d done so in the house. Zac had blown it. |
| And with Boris Johnson and Justine Greening kept out of the chamber by some of Theresa’s sharp-elbowed minders, the worst blue-on-blue attack he was going to get was a few sharp remarks from the usually even-tempered Tania Mathias. | And with Boris Johnson and Justine Greening kept out of the chamber by some of Theresa’s sharp-elbowed minders, the worst blue-on-blue attack he was going to get was a few sharp remarks from the usually even-tempered Tania Mathias. |
| If only the transport secretary had known he wasn’t going to encounter any turbulence, he’d have sounded rather more upbeat as he went through the motions of trying to explain why the government had finally run out of ideas for how to delay making a decision on airport expansion in the south-east. | If only the transport secretary had known he wasn’t going to encounter any turbulence, he’d have sounded rather more upbeat as he went through the motions of trying to explain why the government had finally run out of ideas for how to delay making a decision on airport expansion in the south-east. |
| As it was, he had bumbled along – bumbling is one of Failing-Grayling’s trademarks – as if he was in a remedial reading class for students with English as a second language. | As it was, he had bumbled along – bumbling is one of Failing-Grayling’s trademarks – as if he was in a remedial reading class for students with English as a second language. |
| “This government is not afraid of taking the difficult decisions,” he had insisted. Even if it took them the best part of six years to get round to doing so. “And by taking this decision we have taken and are all very pleased about, apart from those who aren’t, we are showing that Britain is open for business.” | “This government is not afraid of taking the difficult decisions,” he had insisted. Even if it took them the best part of six years to get round to doing so. “And by taking this decision we have taken and are all very pleased about, apart from those who aren’t, we are showing that Britain is open for business.” |
| Every time a minister declares that Britain is open for business, they give the impression they really think it might not be. | Every time a minister declares that Britain is open for business, they give the impression they really think it might not be. |
| Failing-Grayling meandered on. “No airport is able to be silent,” he declared in a rare display of confidence. Nothing gets past the transport secretary. “And Heathrow will definitely be more noisy than it otherwise might have been. But we have studied new supplementary evidence that shows it won’t be quite as noisy as some people seem to think it will be.” | Failing-Grayling meandered on. “No airport is able to be silent,” he declared in a rare display of confidence. Nothing gets past the transport secretary. “And Heathrow will definitely be more noisy than it otherwise might have been. But we have studied new supplementary evidence that shows it won’t be quite as noisy as some people seem to think it will be.” |
| Much of the evidence the transport secretary provided for this was that the tube lines, the M4 and M25 were already so overcrowded that no one would be able to get to the airport in time to make use of the extra capacity. The longer he went on, the better the case he appeared to be making for Gatwick. | Much of the evidence the transport secretary provided for this was that the tube lines, the M4 and M25 were already so overcrowded that no one would be able to get to the airport in time to make use of the extra capacity. The longer he went on, the better the case he appeared to be making for Gatwick. |
| “I know that some nimby members won’t be that happy with the government’s decision,” he continued. | “I know that some nimby members won’t be that happy with the government’s decision,” he continued. |
| “So what the government proposes to do is to do nothing for another year so that Boris and Justine can go around moaning for a bit before falling into line when everyone no longer cares. And to those who say the government has deliberately slowed the project down, I just say this. The opposite is not the case.” Make that English as Failing-Grayling’s third language. | “So what the government proposes to do is to do nothing for another year so that Boris and Justine can go around moaning for a bit before falling into line when everyone no longer cares. And to those who say the government has deliberately slowed the project down, I just say this. The opposite is not the case.” Make that English as Failing-Grayling’s third language. |
| There were no mentions of costs – apart from a promise to use expensive British steel rather than cheaper, dumped Chinese steel – but no one else in the house was that bothered. | There were no mentions of costs – apart from a promise to use expensive British steel rather than cheaper, dumped Chinese steel – but no one else in the house was that bothered. |
| Heathrow is largely only an emotive issue for a few MPs from the home counties and London. The rest aren’t that bothered if everyone in London chokes to death and doesn’t get a wink of sleep just as long as they still get to fly from Heathrow. | Heathrow is largely only an emotive issue for a few MPs from the home counties and London. The rest aren’t that bothered if everyone in London chokes to death and doesn’t get a wink of sleep just as long as they still get to fly from Heathrow. |
| Most seem to believe that Gatwick is some kind of world war two, grass-runwayed aerodrome somewhere way out in the sticks. Geography isn’t the strong point of many MPs. | Most seem to believe that Gatwick is some kind of world war two, grass-runwayed aerodrome somewhere way out in the sticks. Geography isn’t the strong point of many MPs. |
| “If it turns out, after further consultation, that there are good reasons not to proceed with Heathrow,” said Conservative Adam Afriyie, whose Windsor constituency is on the flightpath, “can I have assurances that the government will change its mind?” | “If it turns out, after further consultation, that there are good reasons not to proceed with Heathrow,” said Conservative Adam Afriyie, whose Windsor constituency is on the flightpath, “can I have assurances that the government will change its mind?” |
| “Good lord, no,” said Failing-Grayling. “I’m not going through all that again.” | “Good lord, no,” said Failing-Grayling. “I’m not going through all that again.” |