Two-faced Tories

Looks like another Tory fib then...

Well you heard it here first folks... and as this blog predicted on the selection of Justine Greening MP, the airport is back and boy is it back with a vengeance.

Tommorrow will see the publication of detailed proposals on an airport at Grain from Lord Foster which will be yet another, or possibly final nail, in the 'pie-in-the-sky' coffin. From sources Foster will give a lot of juicy nuggets to Kent County Council, which could ameliorate any opposition from the only local government body with any credibility.

The Medway Tory attempts to treat this as a joke are now totally out of tune with reality. It is time quite frankly they woke up and smelt the coffee.

Lobbying for an airport has been ongoing for years in the corridors of power. Our MPs may not be at the right tables, or indeed be anything more than backbench voting fodder, but the simple fact is even this blog is aware of the lobbying that has taken place. It has warmed readers time and time again to not ignore this issue.

It isnt from want of saying that up until now we have had no dismissal of any airport from anyone. Only a total mug would take time limited guarantees from Cameron as a gaurantee. Only an ever bigger mug would take one letter from one transport secretary as a written seal of opposition.

Now the only way to stop this issue from reaching a government paper is to work on Cameron himself. I have seen precious little evidence that two of our rebellious MPs have any credibility at all in Number 10

I suspect that part of the reason this airport issue has returned may partly be as a result of the voting record of Mark Reckless. No joke; Bob Marshall-Andrews always suspected it was a conspiracy by the whips!

Unfortunately, and this blog believes wilfully, we have witnessed the most lacklustre campaign to oppose the airport by Medway Conservative Councillors. They have reaped the predicted outcome.

The government u-turn now announced, we are perhaps weeks away from a full scale government paper on aviation which will no doubt contain detailed Tory-government plans to potentially concrete over the Peninsula.

Desperate Conservative MPs are now trying to claw their way back onto the airwaves to distance themselves, but the simple truth is that a Conservative government proposal for an airport on the Peninsula will destroy the Tory block vote on the Peninsula. No one will vote for the same party that proposes the destruction of their area even if the local MP screams and shouts as loud as they can.

This could have all been different had the Conservatives put politics aside in 2008/2009 and funded a proper campaign to oppose the idea of an Estuary Airport.

Time and time again we were told its joke. Well no one is laughing now and they will hold this administration complicit if this comes to pass.

Meanwhile even the prospect for an airport could be expensive. It will hamper or destroy any regeneration plans or investment potential for the Peninsula and it will leave the Council Planning department in limbo. We could be at the start of a nightmare which could cost of millions to local tax payers in delays and lost jobs and potential. That is before you put houseprices and the destruction of livelihoods and local habitat into the mix.

If Tories are reading. Get off your backsides and lobby like you have never lobbied before.

This is not a joke and if you treat it as such the last laugh will be on you...