Justine Greening MP Defies Whip Voting No To Heathrow Expansion

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Meanwhile Wandsworth Council starts to get the legal ball rolling to fight expansion

Last night (25th June), MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposal to build a third runway at Heathrow airport – backing the government. The vote in the Commons was won by 415 votes to 119 - a majority of 296. Local MP Justine Greening was one of eight Conservative MPs that defied the whip and rebelled to vote against the Heathrow expansion.

This afternoon (26th June) Justine Greening told this website: "‘There is still a long way to go in this process and I will be working with other MPs to continue our campaign against Heathrow expansion. The bottom line is that this project will unravel because the numbers just don’t add up.

She continued: " I’d like to say thank you for your support to all those constituents who have got in touch about the vote and I will continue to do my very best to represent the views of our community."

Not surprised at third runway vote tonight, #Heathrow lobby is powerful one, but I’ll continue to represent my community’s concerns. Thanks for the support from everyone! In the end the evidence will win out. Appalling Parliament only had 4 hrs to debate such an important issue.

— Justine Greening (@JustineGreening) June 25, 2018

The other seven Tory rebels were: Adam Afriyie (Windsor), Sir David Amess (Southend West), Bob Blackman (Harrow East), Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park) Greg Hands (Chelsea and Fulham) and Matthew Offord (Hendon) and Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet).

On Monday before the vote Wandsworth Council were already preparing for a legal batte against the expension of Heathrow: Councils opposed to Heathrow expansion say that if MPs tonight (Monday) vote in favour of a third runway they will seek a judicial review.

Cllr Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council, said on Monday: “Heathrow already makes life intolerable for people of all sides of the airport. The Government should be reducing noise for the communities affected but instead it is making it worse. The local authorities have said repeatedly that the noise impacts from the runway are unacceptable. More than 2 million people will be affected by noise from a third runway but they don’t know it yet because the Government has deliberately delayed telling us where the flight paths will be.

“It was only last week that we were finally able to see previously unpublished figures showing that the Government knows that 38 flights could be allowed to land before 5am to make this runway viable. The people whose lives will be affected and whose health will suffer are being kept in the dark.

“If Ministers press ahead now and formally designate the National Planning Statement supporting the third runway we will move quickly to bring this case before the courts. It cannot survive independent, lawful and rational scrutiny.

Commenting on the vote and the role of the Heathrow Community Engagement Board (HCEB) moving forward, Rachel Cerfontyne, HCEB Chair said: “As Chair of the HCEB, my first priority is to ensure that the needs of the local communities are understood and addressed. I will be advising and challenging Heathrow Airport, scrutinising their consultation plans and holding them to account for the commitments made.

“When I was appointed I made it clear that I would seek to strengthen the input of communities throughout the consultation stages, drawing in voices previously unheard. That commitment remains, a decision has been made for the planning process to proceed and now we must use every opportunity to shape the future development of the airport and its surrounding area.”

We have asked the council for comment now the vote has been made.


March 16th 2018