The Liberal Democrats, who currently run the UK government in coalition with the Conservatives, have ruled out a third runway at Heathrow.
Launching the paty’s draft manifesto for the 2015 election, the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg vowed to oppose any expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted as well as the so-called Boris Island airport.
The reasons for the opposition are air and noise pollution. Up to one million people would be affected by the noise from a three runway Heathrow.
The Lib Dems are also against any net increase in the number of runways in the UK as a whole. They say that any new runway has to be balanced by a removal of a runway elsewhere.
Here is the he full text from the document:
“Ensure our airport infrastructure meets the needs of a modern and open economy, without allowing emissions from aviation to undermine our goal of a zero-carbon Britain by 2050. We will
carefully consider the conclusions of the Davies Review into runway capacity and develop a strategic airports policy for the whole of the UK in the light of those recommendations and advice from
the Committee on Climate Change. We remain opposed to any expansion of Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick and any new airport in the Thames Estuary, because of local issues of air and noise pollution. We will ensure no net increase in runways across the UK as a whole by prohibiting the opening of any new runways unless others are closed elsewhere.”
The Lib Dems are currently the third largest party but in charge of the UK as they ase in a coalition with the largest party, the Conservatives.
But that is likely to change in May 2015 when the UK holds its next General Election.
The Lib Dems could then remain in power but this time in coalition with the Labour Party who are expected to be the largest party.
N.B. Image: trlibdems.org.uk
