In today’s Evening Standard Mayor Boris Johnson has taken time out of his busy schedule to argue for a new airport for London. Jim Jepps takes a look.
As you might expect Johnson putsbig business as his number one priority arguing “Foreign-owned companies are estimated to contribute 42 per cent of the wealth created in London. But people need to be able to come to see their investments.”
I’m not entirely sure whether Ronald MacDonald is itching to visit the franchise on Lewisham High Street but if he is I’m pretty sure he’ll find a way to do so without having to mix too closely with the clown hating public.
Johnson also argues that the lack of an extra London airport is in someway responsible for the fact that more Chinese people visit France and Germany than the UK (which I’m told is slightly larger than London. He asks “Are you really trying to tell me that France is 10 times more attractive and interesting to visit than Britain?”
Perish the thought that I might be unpatriotic enough to think France is actually quite nice to visit but there may be a few factors at play like idiotic immigration laws and the fact that if you visit France you have access to the whole of Europe due to the Shengen agreement, something the UK has opted out of.
Anyway, if you’re coming from China I doubt the trip from Heathrow to central London is going to be much of a factor when deciding between roast beef or frog’s legs.
Having put a case solely reliant on money he finishes “That is why it is time to look at a new solution for London, and why I urge the Government to develop ideas for a new airport in the Thames estuary – a clean, state-of-the art hub airport that would be a motor for growth and regeneration and entrench London’s lead as the greatest commercial centre in Europe.”
According to Airport Watch however “ministers are dubious of the viability of either scheme with the biggest stumbling block being the cost of the project and also mentions issues such as the SS Richard Montgomery, the sunken US warship, which sits on the floor of the sea around the Isle of Sheppey packed with high explosive.
“Just last week Rochester and Strood MP Mark Reckless received a letter from the Aviation Minister vowing the Government had no plans for a new airport and would rather invest in existing infrastructure.”
While the case for extra capacity is far from made by a few dodgy statistics about Chinese tourists Boris makes no mention of the environmental impact of this new capacity both on London and on climate emissions.
Business Green notes that “The Department of Transport (DfT) has made it clear that it does not support extra runways at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. Although a DfT spokesman said the department would consider Johnson’s input, it is currently crafting a sustainable aviation strategy that is unlikely to include an entirely new airport.”
They also quote the other Johnson elected to the London Assembly, Green AM Darren Johnson, who says “The mayor would better represent Londoners’ interests by pushing for investment in alternatives to aviation, such as improved and more affordable rail services”.
It certainly stands in stark contrast to Ken Livingstone who is spending the week pushing for improved public transport and building on his fare deal campaign.
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