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Competition Commission recommends break-up of BAA
The Competition Commission in its interim report has recommended that BAA sell-off both Stansted and Gatwick airports and either Edinburgh or Glasgow. It argues this will bring greater efficiency and enable expansion to take place rapidly. But a final decision will not be made until it publishes its full report in April 2007.
HACAN comment: It is difficult to predict what effect the break-up of BAA might have. The Commission believes it will bring greater efficiency and more expansion. Whilst they are almost certainly right about efficiency, there is more doubt about whether it will accelerate moves towards expansion. In the short-term it will bring uncertainty. The longer-term is more uncertain. Missing from the report is any analysis of the impact of rising oil prices on future demand. Missing, too, is any assessment of the effect of the huge campaigns against expansion. As the respected journal Local Transport Today wrote in a recent editorial: “No one has yet tried to build a new runway in the face of vociferous public opposition.”
Decision on Heathrow postponed until November or December
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly confirmed this in a July statement in the House of Commons.
Campaigners are planning an autumn offensive
Campaigners are planning an autumn of action to keep the pressure on the Government to drop its proposals to expand Heathrow. The plans will include more flash mobs, direct action training, further work to undermine ‘the economic case for expansion’ as well as promotion of the positive alternatives to expansion.
Conservative leader David Cameron has argued
“There are now increasing grounds to believe that the economic case [for Heathrow expansion] is flawed, even without addressing the serious environmental concerns,”
and
“The most important priority for Heathrow is making it better, not bigger.”
RMT Union comes out against Heathrow expansion
Read the HACAN Press Release and the full report
London First backs Cameron’s case
London’s top business organisation does not see expansion of Heathrow as the top priority.
Read their dramatic new report - executive summary; full research report
Campaigners are planning an Autumn offensive
Campaigners are planning an autumn of action to keep the pressure on the Government to drop its proposals to expand Heathrow. The plans will include more flash mobs, direct action training, further work to undermine ‘the economic case for expansion’ as well as promotion of the positive alternatives to expansion.
Third Runway Protester Superglues himself to Gordon Brown
At an awards ceremony on 22nd July in 10 Downing Street a campaigner against Heathrow expansion superglued himself to Gordon Brown. Dan Glass, a member of the direct group Plane Stupid, visiting Number 10 as one of the winners of the Sheila McKecknie awards which are given each year to promising campaigners. Downing St has tried to play down the incident and will not be pressing charges.
The biggest demonstration against Heathrow Expansion
On 31st May thousands of people took part in the biggest-ever demonstration against expansion at Heathrow. Local residents who had never marched before. Experienced environmental campaigners. Direct action activists. MPs from all parties. Local authorities. National environmental organisations such as Greenpeace. Campaigners from other airports. All came together to say NO to further expansion at Heathrow.
70,000 People Respond to the Consultation
Aviation Minister Jim Fitzpatrick was forced to admit in Parliament on 2nd April that 70,000 people had responded to the consultation. We don’t know yet how many were for and how many against expansion
Former BA Boss Comes Out Against Heathrow Expansion
Former British Airways Chief Executive Bob Ayling has come out against expansion at Heathrow and has called for fewer flights to use the airport. Read his article in the Sunday Times
MPs Slam Government over Collusion with BAA on Heathrow Consultation
In a debate about Heathrow on the floor of the House of Commons initiated by the Liberal Democrats on Wednesday 2nd April, MPs lined to slam the Government over collusion with BAA in drawing up the recent Heathrow consultation document and John McDonnell MP, whose constituency includes Heathrow, subsequently put down an Early Day Motion calling for an independent Public Inquiry.
Here’s just a flavour of what was said. You can catch the full
debate here
