TMay deserves to be congratulated for at least making a decision on LHR
The PM’s winning streak continues
By a walloping Commons majority last night, 415 votes to 119, the ongoing procrastination over the expansion of Heathrow has been resolved and at last the indecision over the airport’s future is over.
That it should have taken so long for it to get to this stage says a lot about big infrastructure decision making in the UK – remember how the Channel Tunnel was opened in December 1993 but it took fifteen years before the high speed rail link to London was finally operational.
Those who bet at evens that the third runway would be agreed will soon be getting their winnings.
What is striking is that the decision should come from a government headed by a woman who is said to back away from making decisions. Well on this one she has done something that Cameron failed to do causing years of delay.
Having spent a large part of my life living under the flight-path in south west London I am only too aware of how strong feeling is about the airport. Yet approving the expansion there was really the only alternative.
In the end it was Labour giving its MPs a free vote on the issue and with UNITE strongly backing the plan this meant that it was going to get through. As it turned out the Labour vote split 110 to 94 in favour. There were just 8 CON MPs who voted against.