Heathrow vote sparks Commons revolt
The Government’s majority has been slashed to 19 as Labour MPs rebelled over a third runway at Heathrow.
A second ministerial aide quit to fight the proposed expansion of the airport and 28 Labour MPs backed a joint Conservative/Liberal Democrat motion in the first Commons vote on the issue, which was defeated by 297 votes to 278.
The debate was an embarrassment for Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon, who had to listen to a string of angry protests from his own benches.
Among the rebels was Virendra Sharma, who quit as parliamentary private secretary to immigration minister Phil Woolas in protest at the pollution Heathrow expansion would inflict on his Ealing Southall constituency in west London.
Earlier in the day, another Labour MP from west London, Andrew Slaughter, resigned as a PPS in the Foreign Office to fight the runway plans.
Several former ministers – including former environment minister Michael Meacher and ex-transport minister Chris Mullin – spoke out against the scheme.
The vote – which was not binding on the Government – was forced by the two opposition parties after Mr Hoon gave the green light to the third runway earlier this month without putting the question to the Commons.
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said: “The Government have had their majority seriously squeezed today.
“While it is disappointing for opponents of Heathrow expansion that our motion was not carried tonight our commitment to stopping a third runway remains absolute.
“Today the Government was forced to allow MPs a vote and heard from their own backbenchers the devastating impact their reckless plans will have on the environment.”
Leading Labour critic John McDonnell, who was suspended for five days after grabbing the mace in protest at Mr Hoon’s go-ahead for the runway, said his constituents regarded the announcement on a third runway as “devastating” and warned local people would not allow their communities to be bulldozed out of the way for it.
Some 132 MPs – including almost 50 Labour – have signed an early-day motion protesting against the expansion of Heathrow.
© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
Khoodeelaar! the East London 'No to Crossrail hole Bill' Campaign 
0415 Hrs GMT London Wednesday 8 April 2009: GMT London Wednesday 8 April 2009: KHOODEELAAR! No to Bog Business poverty-creating, poverty-perpetuating, poverty-perpetrating CrossRail scam agenda-peddlers, touts and stooges on the ‘local’ Tower Hamlets Council… updating the contextual and comprehensive context of opposition to that agenda and the advancement of the evidential ground and reason for the scrapp9ing of the Crossrail agenda by Gordon Brown.. If Brown does not scrap the CRASS rail scam then that failure or refusal will only reinforce the view that he has not got the democratic power to represent the truth as against the dictates of Big Business of which Crossrail is the current symbol and evidence…By boosting the pockets of crooks that are allowed to pose as ‘elected’ holders of publicly-paid for posts that are then employed solely to undermine local people and to impose the agenda of Big Business and their stooged operatives masquerading as agents of [the allegedly ‘democracy-mandated’] [and even more ridiculously: democratically signalled] UK central Government, the operators and the implementers of the “Blaired Regime Fronted by Gordon Brown” are only digging an even deeper hole for the consignment of their own petty careers … and for the creation of worse problems for society than any of the scripted sermons as delivered by the ridiculously light-weight performer Gordon Brown has shown to be able to foresee or recognise…POVERTY-Creation, jobs-loss, democracy-denial and the undermining of the environment are and have been the key features of the regime centrally and its repercussions being felt regionally and in the inner cities localities…… these are going to get even more difficult for the perpetrators and their masters and agenda-setter-mistresses to justify in the context of universally applicable and recognised and upholdable and valid and desirable Values than has been the case so far… How can it be a ‘Labour Goivernement’ – to paraphrase the idiotic utterance in the 1980s by that stupidest of ‘leader’ Neil Kinnock – that is dismantling the almost plausible institutions of pro-democratic society that were built after centuries of battles and struggles? How can the player of the pathetic sermons-sounding scripts confected by agents of Big Business even imagine that his ploys have not been seen through? How can he ‘preside’ [!!!! He like Blair fancies himself as an ape of the occupying culture across the ‘big pond’ and designate himself as ‘president’] over the FURTHER SQUANDERING of the most precious of universal values [as opposed to his narrow, racist ignorantly contrived ‘vah-loos’] and not notice that he is at fault for not stopping the destruction… that he could start the process of bringing the destruction to an end by listening to sanity, to reason, to the truth and by showing respect and recognising the wisdom of the ordinary people who do not cause any multi -£billion consultancy fees or ‘procurement’ ‘bonuses? [To be continued]
April 8, 2009khoodeelaar! Noting at 0348 HrsGMTWed8April2009: ARCH liars ARCHANT, ‘owners’ of so-called ‘independent’ East London Advertiser’ are lying on…less than 5 seconds ago from web
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