Heathrow vote proves divisive
Scots environmentalists have slammed the SNP for abstaining from a crucial Commons vote to build a third runway at Heathrow.
Around a dozen demonstrators lay on the floor of the central lobby in the House of Commons yesterday (25 June) as MPs begun voting on the plans.
MPs voted overwhelmingly to back a third runway despite huge opposition from environmentalists and campaigners.
The government won by 415 votes to 119 - a majority of 296.
SNP MPs abstained from the vote despite campaigners urging them to vote no, a decision criticised by Dr Richard Dixon, Friends of the Earth Scotland director.
“By abstaining, SNP MPs have stayed silent and this awful proposal has passed despite the clear and repeated warning about its effect on the climate,” he said.
“The SNP has clearly felt the pressure from the thousands of people who have been emailing their MPs, but being a climate leader means taking hard decisions and voting no to destructive projects like the Heathrow runway. You can’t abstain on climate change.
“While better than supporting the project, the SNP’s symbolic abstention has done nothing to challenge this damaging, polluting plan. Heathrow is already the UK’s biggest carbon polluter and we should be finding ways to drastically cut emissions from the aviation sector rather than encouraging them to further drive climate change.”
A legal challenge to the runway is being planned by a group of local councils neighbouring the airport heralding what could be years of challenges before the development commences. Greenpeace UK said it was ready to join the London councils in the legal challenge.
The government has pledged the airport will be built at no cost to the taxpayer, will create 100,000 jobs and will benefit the entire country, through guaranteed internal flights to the rest of the UK.
