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Old August 8th 14, 07:37 AM posted to uk.transport.london
Recliner[_2_] Recliner[_2_] is offline
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Default OT and ironic: Boris Johnson's opposition to Heathrow could derail MP bid

From
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...il-MP-bid.html

Boris Johnson’s return to Parliament could be derailed because of his plans
to close Heathrow and open an airport in the Thames Estuary.

The Mayor of London, who on announced plans to contest a seat in next
year’s election and is understood to be in talks to stand in Uxbridge and
South Ruislip.
However, the constituency in west London contains thousands of voters who
work at Heathrow who would fiercely oppose Mr Johnson’s candidacy.

Mr Johnson believes Heathrow should be turned into a “tech city” so that
the capital’s main airport can be moved out of the city and on to a
floating island in the estuary.
The Labour candidate running in the constituency, Chris Summers, opposes
closing Heathrow and will try and turn any contest against Mr Johnson into
a debate about the future of the airport.

A series of voters and business leaders told LBC Radio that Mr Johnson
would not win in the constituency unless he reverses his call for Heathrow
to be shut down.
Mr Johnson described Heathrow as “a dead duck” and said he will “fight to
my dying breath” to halt a third runway.
Some Conservatives feel that Mr Johnson’s return to Parliament will
destabilise David Cameron because it will lead to intense speculation about
Mr Johnson’s leadership ambitions.

Mr Johnson yesterday appeared to challenge Mr Cameron’s position on the
European Union by insisting that reforming Britain’s relationship with
Brussels would be “easy”.
The Mayor this week said that Britain has “nothing to fear” by voting to
leave the EU in an in-out referendum if Mr Cameron is unable to change the
UK’s relationship with Brussels.
In an interview with the Evening Standard, he rejected claims that the
reforms he is demanding will be impossible to achieve in time for the
referendum Mr Cameron has promised to hold in 2017.
Mr Johnson said: “I’m not so pessimistic. I think you could easily.”

In the interview, Mr Johnson disclosed that he has been included on the
official Conservative candidates list, allowing him to stand in Uxbridge.
One London Tory MP said Mr Johnson would have to “temper” his views on
closing Heathrow and building a new airport hub to the east of London.
Another Conservative said: “This could be a real problem. The seat has a
majority of 11,000 but thousands of people who work in Heathrow live in the
constituency and many thousands more are reliant on the airport for their
incomes. He may have chosen the wrong place to stand.”

Chris Summers, the Labour candidate standing in the constituency, said: “So
many people in Uxbridge and South Ruislip either work at Heathrow or have
businesses which rely very much on it.
“They will be distraught that somebody who is [standing is] so hostile to
Heathrow and actually wants it to close down.”

Bill Gritts, who runs Wings coach service, said: “In the surrounding areas
it would have a major, major effect.”
He added: “If this is his manifesto for him to become the MP for Uxbridge,
then I don’t think he is going to end up as an MP for Uxbridge.”

Other seats Mr Johnson is thought to be considering include Hertsmere and
Hornchurch and Upminster.
___________

I'd always assumed that Boris's opposition to Heathrow was purely
political, designed to curry favour with the Londoners who live under the
flight path, and therefore hate Heathrow. So it's ironic that the safe
London seat he may want to stand for has many voters who depend on Heathrow
for their income, but aren't much bothered by the noise.