HACAN outlines where the Labour candidates for Party Leader stand on a third runway at Heathrow and, below that, were the London Mayoral hopefuls stand.
Labour leadership candidates
Jeremy Corbyn. AGAINST.
Mr Corbyn told The Independent: “A third runway at Heathrow would mean 4,000 homes demolished and 10,000 people displaced.
It would cause massive increases in noise and air pollution and inflict misery on hundreds of thousands of Londoners.
UK air pollution is already above EU limits, and 30,000 people are dying every year because of it.
We should be ensuring our existing national and regional airports are linked effectively by public transport and work together to maximise existing capacity and help spread economic benefits across the country.”
He is also on record as saying the demand should be managed through ending the tax-breaks the aviation industry enjoys, such as tax-free fuel.
Andy Burham. FOR
Mr Burnham believes it is time to “just get on with it” following the Davies report. He is backing Michael Dugher, one of his supporters, who as shadow Transport Secretary last month dropped Labour’s opposition to Heathrow expansion under Ed Miliband.
Liz Kendall. FOR
Ms Kendall was the first leadership runner to endorse a third runway.
She said: “The country has to get behind this now – the time for fudge and indecision is over.
Many thousands of jobs right across the country depend on Britain maintaining an international hub airport that keeps pace with the rest of the world.
With my leadership, Labour will be a party of jobs and work – so I will back the commission’s decision. We need to act now.”
Yvette Cooper. FOR
Ms Cooper said the Heathrow project should go ahead provided the environmental safeguards proposed by the commission are introduced.
She said: “We have spent a very long time on this; we do need to get on with it.
The experts have looked at it and made a recommendation. I think we should go with it.”
Labour London Mayoral Hopefuls
Diane Abbott, Sadiq Khan and Christian Wolmar. AGAINST
Tessa Jowell and David Lammy. FOR (as long as key conditions on noise and air pollution are in place)
Gareth Thomas. FOR…and wants a 2nd runway at Gatwick as well