Heathrow has been censored yet again by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for more misleading adverts. The ASA ruled against other Heathrow ads in February 2015.
The airport claimed in three adverts that local people supported plans for a third runway.
Ad 1 said: “Those around us are behind us. More local people support than oppose Heathrow expansion.”
Ad 2 said: “Heathrow expansion Those living around us are behind us”.
Ad 3 claimed : “Locals support it.”
The ASA ruled that the claims in all three ads “exaggerated the level of support for expansion, had not been substantiated and were misleading.”
Heathrow has been ordered not to repeat the ads in their current form again. The airport has to ensure they hold sufficient evidence to substantiate their objective marketing claims in future, and to ensure their claims are adequately qualified, without contradiction.
Opposition to Heathrow
The reality is that opposition to Heathrow expansion is huge and includes:
- almost all local councils
- the Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and other cabinet members
- all the candidates for Mayor of London, including the certain winner (Zac Goldsmith or Sadiq Khan)
- the current Mayor of London, Boris Johnson
- The London Assembly
- the new Labour Party leader and his shadow chancellor
- the Liberal Party
- the Green Party
Other MPs in the Heathrow area who are opposed to expansion include:
- Adam Afriyie, Conservative MP for Windsor
- Andy Slaughter, Labour MP for Hammersmith
- Ruth Cadbury, Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth
- Rupa Huq, Labour MP for Ealing Central & Acton
- Tania Mathias, Conservative MP for Twickenham
In May 2013, three local councils held referendums and consultations.
- Richmond upon Thames and Hillingdon Councils held borough-wide ballots with joint results showing that 71% of people objected to a third runway.
- Hounslow Council said 72% were against expansion.
N.B. Image credit: airportwatch.org
