Opponents of Bristol Airport expansion should take very careful note of at least one of Gordo’s appointments to his all-singing, all-dancing, all-inclusive new cabinet “of all the talents”.
The appointment of former CBI Director Digby Jones as minister for trade promotion dovetails rather nicely with the corporate financier’s appointment last month as the chair of ‘Flying Matters’, a new coalition – in their words – “to lobby over climate change.”
Its members include easyJet, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, BaE and BAA. It has appointed former pro-nuke energy minister Brian Wilson as vice chairman.
Their campaign director Michelle Di Leo – former aviation minister Glenda Jackson’s daughter-in-law – gives a flavour of their approach: “Flying isn’t a luxury – it underpins our economy and contributes to our lives in so many ways. It is precisely because flying matters that this coalition has been formed to ensure we’re part of a balanced and informed debate about our contribution to climate change and what we’re doing about it.”
It’s all looking cosy for the air lobby then. And since the lobby group’s chair is now working at the top of Westminster, access couldn’t be any better for them.
Conversely, in his “government of all the talents”, Gordo has found no room for anyone with any remotely green or environmental credentials. It’s therefore safe to say the only green the aviation industry is likely to have to deal with is the light for further airport expansion.
In Bristol, we might as well assume Bristol Airport’s plans will be going ahead along with the South Bristol ring road at the behest of this Labour government helpfully assisted by their unelected local business friends – the SWRDA, GOSW, The South West Assembly etc. Any claims to the contary by local Labour boss Helen Holland and her hopeless gang during elections can now be safely disregarded as total bollocks.