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| Liberal Democrats reject support for Gatwick airport expansion | Liberal Democrats reject support for Gatwick airport expansion |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Liberal Democrats have overwhelmingly rejected a leadership bid to open the way for the party to back expansion at Gatwick airport after the general election. | Liberal Democrats have overwhelmingly rejected a leadership bid to open the way for the party to back expansion at Gatwick airport after the general election. |
| The vote leaves party leaders little room for manoeuvre in a coalition if the Davies commission supports a second runway at Gatwick. The decision, which came despite intense lobbying by the industry, is a rebuff for Nick Clegg who had claimed progress in airplane fuel and noise technology made it possible for the party to support airport expansion at Gatwick and maintain its green commitments. | The vote leaves party leaders little room for manoeuvre in a coalition if the Davies commission supports a second runway at Gatwick. The decision, which came despite intense lobbying by the industry, is a rebuff for Nick Clegg who had claimed progress in airplane fuel and noise technology made it possible for the party to support airport expansion at Gatwick and maintain its green commitments. |
| The party leadership had tried to introduce conditional support for Gatwick by tabling an amendment on the pre-election manifesto. | |
| Urging the party to reject the proposed U-turn, Duncan Brack, the former special adviser to the previous Lib Dem energy secretary, Chris Huhne, warned the party could not be taken seriously if it changed its stance by pretending airports could be expanded without any impact on carbon emissions. | Urging the party to reject the proposed U-turn, Duncan Brack, the former special adviser to the previous Lib Dem energy secretary, Chris Huhne, warned the party could not be taken seriously if it changed its stance by pretending airports could be expanded without any impact on carbon emissions. |
| “Greenhouse gas emissions from aviation are already increasing faster than any other source and the amendment will add to that pressure without recommending any method of restraining it.” | “Greenhouse gas emissions from aviation are already increasing faster than any other source and the amendment will add to that pressure without recommending any method of restraining it.” |
| He said the party would have been left indistinguishable from other parties if it had accepted expansion at Gatwick. He added: “We are at 6% in some polls; ask yourself what new voters are we going to attract by this amendment. Will it strengthen our green image or weaken it? Will it makes us more distinctive or more like [the] Tories and Labour that both support airport expansion. Will it bring back the voters we have lost?” | He said the party would have been left indistinguishable from other parties if it had accepted expansion at Gatwick. He added: “We are at 6% in some polls; ask yourself what new voters are we going to attract by this amendment. Will it strengthen our green image or weaken it? Will it makes us more distinctive or more like [the] Tories and Labour that both support airport expansion. Will it bring back the voters we have lost?” |
| Earlier the energy and climate change secretary, Ed Davey, insisted support for Gatwick expansion did not represent a political U-turn, and was consistent with the party’s environmental beliefs. “What we’re saying is the environmental criteria we have always had may well be able to allow expansion elsewhere given technological change. | Earlier the energy and climate change secretary, Ed Davey, insisted support for Gatwick expansion did not represent a political U-turn, and was consistent with the party’s environmental beliefs. “What we’re saying is the environmental criteria we have always had may well be able to allow expansion elsewhere given technological change. |
| “It’s not a U-turn on environmental criteria – that’s the key point. Of course it would (change a stated policy) but it would be doing it for environmental reasons. | “It’s not a U-turn on environmental criteria – that’s the key point. Of course it would (change a stated policy) but it would be doing it for environmental reasons. |
| “What we are in favour of is the environmental criteria and if they can’t be met – they clearly can’t be met at Heathrow, that’s obvious for everybody – but if they can be met elsewhere, we’re not against flying, we’re not against people using their cars, we’re not against people actually enjoying life and the economy growing. | “What we are in favour of is the environmental criteria and if they can’t be met – they clearly can’t be met at Heathrow, that’s obvious for everybody – but if they can be met elsewhere, we’re not against flying, we’re not against people using their cars, we’re not against people actually enjoying life and the economy growing. |
| “We just want to do that in a low-carbon way, we’ve always said that.” | “We just want to do that in a low-carbon way, we’ve always said that.” |
| Opposing all new runway construction risks binding the hands of the Liberal Democrats and strangling growth in the regions, activists were told during the debate. | Opposing all new runway construction risks binding the hands of the Liberal Democrats and strangling growth in the regions, activists were told during the debate. |
| Moving the amendment, Lorely Burt, the Solihull MP, said: “The motion as it stands precludes the possibility of net growth in runways anywhere in the UK. But in Birmingham, in Newquay, in Aberdeen and in so many areas our airports are a vital part of our local economy. | Moving the amendment, Lorely Burt, the Solihull MP, said: “The motion as it stands precludes the possibility of net growth in runways anywhere in the UK. But in Birmingham, in Newquay, in Aberdeen and in so many areas our airports are a vital part of our local economy. |
| “We as a party seek to promote growth in our regions and not to stifle it. But the motion as it stands would ensure no growth for our aviation sector ever. | “We as a party seek to promote growth in our regions and not to stifle it. But the motion as it stands would ensure no growth for our aviation sector ever. |
| “I put it to you that airports are not the enemy. Passengers, whether on business or simply taking family holidays, are not the enemy. The jobs in our regions that depend on better transport links are not the enemy. | “I put it to you that airports are not the enemy. Passengers, whether on business or simply taking family holidays, are not the enemy. The jobs in our regions that depend on better transport links are not the enemy. |
| “Carbon and noise are the enemy. Carbon targets are something we as a party take very, very seriously. | “Carbon and noise are the enemy. Carbon targets are something we as a party take very, very seriously. |
| “The technological developments in carbon and noise reduction in aircraft manufacture in the last 10 years alone have been impressive but we can’t predict how far and fast the technology to make aircraft cleaner and quieter will move. We pride ourselves on making our policy decisions based on evidence but the Davis commission hasn’t even reported. | “The technological developments in carbon and noise reduction in aircraft manufacture in the last 10 years alone have been impressive but we can’t predict how far and fast the technology to make aircraft cleaner and quieter will move. We pride ourselves on making our policy decisions based on evidence but the Davis commission hasn’t even reported. |
| “This amendment makes it clear we will not support a further runway at Heathrow … but it also seeks not to bind us into a straitjacket we could end up regretting.” | “This amendment makes it clear we will not support a further runway at Heathrow … but it also seeks not to bind us into a straitjacket we could end up regretting.” |