Conservative aviation policy does not fly if you assess the editorial in today’s Financial Times:
Boris Johnson wants to build an airport to the east of London. FT says:
“Recently debate has been confused by what we believe to be red herrings: a recycled proposal for a hub airport in the Thames Estuary; the suggestion an airport can function as a hub without the transfer traffic that makes it a hub; the notion that vital rail investment is an alternative to rather than complementary to expansion.”
Therea Villiers, to the extent that she says anything, states that she doesn’t want to rule anything in, or rule anything out. FT says:
“Increasingly, there are those who want to go over old arguments. They want to start again from scratch, even if that means another decade (at least) of policy stasis. Engaging in the debate is fine, but we can no longer avoid facing up to long overdue decisions. Britain’s record of taking hard decisions and applying these to our national infrastructure has not been good, especially compared with our European rivals, which are building runways to meet demand and taking business from the UK in the process.”
Basically, David Cameron wants to look green and therefore doesn’t want to make a decision on whether he supports a new runway at Heathrow.
The real question is, how does every national media outlet, other than the FT, allow him to get away with such a lack of definition?
He wants to run the country. Is anyone going to put him under scrutiny on about the most important infrastructure decision we face, other than energy supply (and that’s another question).
2 comments ↓
“vital rail investment is an alternative to rather than complementary to expansion” is a serious proposition, as the experience in France shows: their TGV trains are taking many internal travellers away from air. Even BAA’s boss has asked for the central London – Heathrow – Manchester area high speed line to be built (his recent interview by BBC TV refers).
I don’t personally agree that it is a realistic alternative dreamingspire but that’s not really the point.
Theresa Villiers does not articulate any position. If she believes that there shouldn’t be a new runway at Heathrow then commit to it. If she doesn’t, then say why and cost the alternative.
We don’t know whether Boris Johnson’s idea that there should be a new airport East of London is official Conservative policy for example.
And my real point was that the mainstream media do not seem interested in teasing out this policy avoidance. Other than the FT. See today’s FT for more comment:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9e2bbda0-6fb6-11dd-986f-0000779fd18c.html
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