A third runway at Heathrow airport would be scrapped by a Tory government that would instead build a £20bn TGV-style high speed rail link between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
In one of David Cameron's boldest moves on the environment, the party will today unveil plans to cut 66,000 flights a year from Heathrow by tempting passengers on to the first new rail line north of London in more than a century.
Theresa Villiers, the shadow transport secretary, told the Guardian last night: "This is a seriously green decision. A few years ago it would have been inconceivable for the leader of the Conservative party to say no to a third runway and putting the brakes on Heathrow expansion."
The announcement, on the second day of the party's conference in Birmingham, is designed to show that the party has not abandoned its "Vote Blue, Go Green" agenda in the face of the economic downturn. Gordon Brown has warned that some Tory green plans would jeopardise economic development, but Cameron hopes to blunt any Labour attack by outlining detailed plans to tempt airline passengers on to the railways.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/sep/29/toryconference.transportContrast this with Labour's position:
Third runway at Heathrow ‘is a done deal’ - even though public consultation goes on
Ministers are pressing ahead with plans for a highly controversial third runway at Heathrow and intend to approve the expansion before Christmas, The Times has learnt. Although the Government is still sifting through tens of thousands of public submissions on the airport’s proposed expansion, it is understood that senior figures have already decided to sanction it.
Transport sources told The Times that the Government was determined to make the third runway happen, despite widespread opposition from the environmental lobby and the possibility of an independent review delaying the project.
...
However The Times understands that Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary, strongly supports the proposal and is likely to make the announcement in its favour as early as November.
The news comes despite growing efforts by environmental groups and West London residents to thwart the project. The European Union has also expressed concern that a third runway could breach pollution targets.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article4806137.eceSo, Labour is now the party that wants to ram through the policies that big business wants, whatever the public thinks, and what it might do to the environment; and the Conservatives want to spend public money on an infrastructure project that is greener. The world is upside down.
One thing: Ruth Kelly won't be announcing anything as Transport Secretary in November: she announced her imminent resignation 2 days after that 2nd article was written, to 'spend more time with her family'. No replacement has been announced yet.
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