Rally against Heathrow Expansion Westminster 25th February 2008
Last night's meeting organised by HACAN at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster was a great success.The massive hall was filled to capacity. Standing room only for latecomers and a second hall had to be opened up to accommodate the overflow.The main speakers repeated their speeches to the people in the second hall.The speakers represented a wide range of parties, organisations and individuals with the conspicious exception that neither the Labour Government nor BAA nor BA or the aviation industry were represented.Hounslow Conservative Councillor Barbara Reid spoke first with a eloquent and comprehensive summary of the all-party opposition to Heathrow Expansion as broadly expressed by Hounslow Council and the other members of the 2M Group of Councils. She is now recognised as being a leader of the opposition to Heathrow Expansion not only but across London and beyond.Hounslow and Spring Grove Ward can be proud of her.Barbara was followed by Nick Clegg MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Justine Greening, Conservative MP for Putney, Susan Kramer, Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond, Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham,Sarah Ludford, Liberal Democrat MEP, Carol - a representative from the Stop Stanstead Expansion campaign, Brian Paddick the Lib Dem Mayoral candidate representing all 4 Mayoral candidates, Anita Goldsmith of Greenpeace, Caroline Lucas Green Party MEP, John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Hillingdon, Peter Ainsworth MP, the Conservative Shadow Spokesman for the Environment and a very eloquent Middlesex lady called Christine from the No Third Runaway Group representing the residents of Sipson and Harmondsworth whose homes,schools,shops and communities are going to be destroyed.There were video speeches from Boris Johnson MP, the Conservative Candidate for Mayor of London, Sian Berry, the Green Party Candidate for Mayor of London and from the present Mayor of London. There were a number of very good and varied speeches from the floor. A member of the audience described eloquently how the expansion would involve the removal of his family graves from the ancient graveyard at St Mary The Virgin, Harmondsworth.Others spoke about the national and international necessity to take radical steps to limit Climate Change.All MP's and MEP's present were given the opportunity to speak.All the speeches were against Heathrow Expansion.So it appaers, was everyone there although no doubt the Labour Government, the BAA, BA, Future Hounslo and the pro-expansion trade unions had their spies in the audience. Certainly when I passed around a bucket for donations, there were some prosperous looking men in suits who refused to donate.The proceedings were ably chaired by Jenny Tonge, the President of HACAN and former Lob Dem MP for Richmond. The final very fine speech was given by John Stewart the veteran campaigner and Chair of HACAN.The well considered and clear opposition to Heathrow Expansion expressed by Peter Ainsworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, left us in no doubt that if we elect a Conservative Government, there will be no further expansion at Heathrow. His was politically the most significant speech of the evening because he was speaking on behalf of the party which is now 11 points ahead of Labour in the opinion polls and likely to form the Government after the next General Election.Evidently Alan Keen MP and Ann Keen MP were in the audience at the beginning of the meeting but they left fairly early and did not speak either at the main meeting or at the second overflow meeting.Evidently there was a vote in the House Of Commons yesterday evening but that did not deter other much more important and senior MP's such as Peter Ainsworth and Nick Clegg from speaking. Having never heard either of the Keens speak on this subject I was very disappointed as I was really curious to know what they would have said.On the way home on the tube, I met Michael Meacher MP, the former Labour Secretary of State for the Environment and gave him a copy of the 2M Group's leaflet "Two Million Voices". He took it from me with a wry smile !Let's hope he speaks out against Heathrow Expansion also.Today is the last day we can make our objections known to heathrowconsultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk
David Giles ● 6361d6 Comments