On Wed, 03 Sep 2014 15:27:41 +0100, Mizter T
wrote:

On 03/09/2014 14:53, Recliner wrote:

On Wed, 03 Sep 2014 13:40:12 +0100, Mizter T
wrote:

On 02/09/2014 07:57, Recliner wrote:
To no-ones's surprise, Boris Island hasn't made the airport expansion short
list. Indeed, it's only pressure from Boris that left it on the list for so
long at all. So what remains are three options, two for Heathrow expansion,
and one for Gatwick. The business vote strongly favours Heathrow, but
Gatwick is easier politically. The decision is due after the election, and
I wonder which will win?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29026484


Gatwick. Eventually.

So why all the procrastination then? The reason they keep deferring
the decision is that Heathrow is the only one that makes economic
sense, but it's politically very difficult. The only safe time to
choose it is right after an election.


It's political dynamite! The parties policies on the airports question
going into the general election could be interesting - that said, they
might well just say 'we'll follow the recommendations of the Airports
Commission', when said recommendations (when they arrive) aren't likely
to offer such an easy get out of jail free card. Individual candidates
might do their own thing anyway.

My reckoning is that Heathrow expansion will ultimately just be too
politically toxic a path to take (remember the widespread pre-2010
opposition).

If a decision was made to expand Heathrow, I wouldn't necessarily
consider that the end of the story.

Ah well, assuming that the Scots don't vote for independence in a
couple of weeks, that will probably be the big political debate next
summer. In the meantime, I notice Gatwick have a lot of ads and
posters up, pushing its case.