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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Lib Dem leadership backs Gatwick expansion | Lib Dem leadership backs Gatwick expansion |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Liberal Democrats are expected to show support for the expansion of Gatwick airport, saying an extra runway could meet the party’s long-standing environmental criteria. | The Liberal Democrats are expected to show support for the expansion of Gatwick airport, saying an extra runway could meet the party’s long-standing environmental criteria. |
| Ed Davey, the energy and climate change secretary, said he would back an amendment supporting Gatwick expansion at the party conference on Tuesday morning. | Ed Davey, the energy and climate change secretary, said he would back an amendment supporting Gatwick expansion at the party conference on Tuesday morning. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he insisted expansion at Heathrow could not meet the party’s environmental criteria due to noise and local air pollution. | Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he insisted expansion at Heathrow could not meet the party’s environmental criteria due to noise and local air pollution. |
| The amendment is being tabled by the leadership to water down a motion that proposes the party continues to oppose all airport expansion in the south-east in line with its 2010 manifesto. | The amendment is being tabled by the leadership to water down a motion that proposes the party continues to oppose all airport expansion in the south-east in line with its 2010 manifesto. |
| Davey, like the business secretary Vince Cable, is an MP in south-west London where there is scant support for Heathrow expansion. He said backing the amendment did not represent a political U-turn since support for Gatwick was consistent with Liberal Democrat principles on the environment. | Davey, like the business secretary Vince Cable, is an MP in south-west London where there is scant support for Heathrow expansion. He said backing the amendment did not represent a political U-turn since support for Gatwick was consistent with Liberal Democrat principles on the environment. |
| The Davies commission, set up by the government, is due to report after the election on where expansion should take place and those lobbying on behalf of Gatwick will be thrilled that they have managed to persuade one of the greenest parties that there is an environmental case for expansion that does not breach the government’s climate change targets. | The Davies commission, set up by the government, is due to report after the election on where expansion should take place and those lobbying on behalf of Gatwick will be thrilled that they have managed to persuade one of the greenest parties that there is an environmental case for expansion that does not breach the government’s climate change targets. |
| Davey said: “We have shown in government that you can have greener energy and still have affordable energy, that you can have growth and it can be green, that you can have cars but it can be zero-carbon cars. If you look at the future of flight it is possible to imagine, with technological innovation, that we have zero-carbon flight in the future. It is not a U-turn on environmental criteria.” | Davey said: “We have shown in government that you can have greener energy and still have affordable energy, that you can have growth and it can be green, that you can have cars but it can be zero-carbon cars. If you look at the future of flight it is possible to imagine, with technological innovation, that we have zero-carbon flight in the future. It is not a U-turn on environmental criteria.” |
| He continued: “If those criteria can be met elsewhere they clearly cannot be met at Heathrow. We are not against flying, we are not against people using their cars, we are not against people enjoying life. We just want people to do it in a low-carbon way.” | He continued: “If those criteria can be met elsewhere they clearly cannot be met at Heathrow. We are not against flying, we are not against people using their cars, we are not against people enjoying life. We just want people to do it in a low-carbon way.” |
| He said Heathrow expansion would fail on the issues of noise pollution, local air pollution and traffic congestion. | He said Heathrow expansion would fail on the issues of noise pollution, local air pollution and traffic congestion. |
| Lib Dem MP Lorely Burt, who will move the amendment, said she did not want the party to put itself “in an unnecessary straitjacket”. She said there was also a risk of damaging regional economies if airports failed to keep pace with growing demands. | Lib Dem MP Lorely Burt, who will move the amendment, said she did not want the party to put itself “in an unnecessary straitjacket”. She said there was also a risk of damaging regional economies if airports failed to keep pace with growing demands. |
| In an interview last week, Nick Clegg said that he wanted to end the party’s outright ban on new runways. “I do happen to think the environmental impact can … be consistent with some form of airport expansion, given the rapid improvement in environmental performance of modern aircraft,” he said. | In an interview last week, Nick Clegg said that he wanted to end the party’s outright ban on new runways. “I do happen to think the environmental impact can … be consistent with some form of airport expansion, given the rapid improvement in environmental performance of modern aircraft,” he said. |
| Arguing that support for expansion does not undermine the party’s green credentials, the prominent Liberal Democrat Lord Brian Paddick said: “Aircraft are becoming much quieter and more fuel-efficient and rapid progress is being made on introducing aviation biofuels. | Arguing that support for expansion does not undermine the party’s green credentials, the prominent Liberal Democrat Lord Brian Paddick said: “Aircraft are becoming much quieter and more fuel-efficient and rapid progress is being made on introducing aviation biofuels. |
| “The Independent Committee on Climate Change reported in July that a significant increase in flights by 2050 is compatible with the government’s overall carbon reduction targets. In fact, the cumulative carbon footprint of the UK’s 18 largest airports has shrunk since 2010 while passenger numbers have increased. Between 1986 and 2006 the number of people significantly affected by noise at Heathrow fell from 2m to around 250,000 despite a 75% increase in flights.” | “The Independent Committee on Climate Change reported in July that a significant increase in flights by 2050 is compatible with the government’s overall carbon reduction targets. In fact, the cumulative carbon footprint of the UK’s 18 largest airports has shrunk since 2010 while passenger numbers have increased. Between 1986 and 2006 the number of people significantly affected by noise at Heathrow fell from 2m to around 250,000 despite a 75% increase in flights.” |
| He said he supported an independent noise authority but insisted that more runways would not necessarily mean more pollution. | He said he supported an independent noise authority but insisted that more runways would not necessarily mean more pollution. |
| The body representing UK airlines, the British Air Transport Association urged the Lib Dems to keep an open mind on airport capacity and wait for the final report of the Airports Commission before ruling out the shortlisted options. | |
| Nathan Stower, BATA Chief Executive, said: “The Committee on Climate Change and the commission have both concluded that expansion would be compatible with the UK’s climate change targets. The commission has set out a clear case for one net additional runway in London and the South East, to come into operation by 2030, and will decide between Heathrow and Gatwick. They looked at whether demand could be redistributed to airports outside the South East, but found little scope and no credible policy options. Ruling out the Commission’s shortlisted locations before the final recommendation would not be in the national interest.” |