Is business becoming increasingly sympathetic to Tory opposition to Heathrow expansion?

Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers certainly believes the answer to the above question is "yes", based on this letter to yesterday's Sunday Times signed by a number of leading businessmen.

The signatories - including Charles Dunstone of Carphone Warehouse, Justin King of Sainsbury’s, Ian Cheshire of Kingfisher and David Levin of United Business Media - insist that "many individuals in the business community do not believe that the rationale put forward for the third runway at Heathrow is sufficient to justify the Government’s recent decision".

Calling on the Government to rethink its decision, they added that the business benefits of Heathrow expansion are "unclear and unproven" and that the alternatives have not been adequately explored.

Theresa Villiers has responded to the letter by saying that  Labour’s "misleading claim" that all business is behind the Government's plans for the third runway has been "blown out of the water":

“These are serious and very senior figures in the business world and they are telling Gordon Brown he has got it wrong on Heathrow. This is further proof that Labour is increasingly isolated and that they are on the wrong side of the argument on Heathrow. Only with a Conservative Government can we be sure that a third runway will not go ahead."

But John Cridland, the deputy director-general of the CBI, maintains that the signatories to the letter are in a minority:

“What the CBI has promoted is the strong view of the majority of companies that Heathrow is vital to the London economy and needs extra capacity.”

Jonathan Isaby

Comments

[Serf]

I have no doubt that London needs investment in Airport Infrastructure. Heathrow is a completely different matter.

When there are so many other alternatives, why the insistence on the world's worst airport.

As a Conservative, I am perfectly aware that we need to provide the infrastructure needed by our businesses. However we have to accept that the CBI, or any other business lobby is just one of many potentially interested parties. Politics is about sorting out competing priorities, not having favoured lobbys that make decisions for you.

[Edward Huxley]

In thought we had dealt with this subject some time ago. Heathrow is already a disaster for anyone living within 20 miles - I should know! A third runway and the dreadful Airtrack scheme would make life round here unbearable.

We don`t want it, don`t need it and can`t afford it,.

[Raj]

So how does the CBI respond to the claim about the polling. Does it dispute it, or ignore it?

As for a new runway, there is one obvious answer - Gatwick. Lift the planning freeze (legislation would take care of it if necessary) and invest there. Have a real rival to Heathrow and it will reduce congestion there as well as create a reason for BAA to run their airport as well as they can!