Backing Boris or Backing Hoo?

Labour Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone attacks Estuary Airport. Where do local Tories stand?

Over the last couple of weeks it has become increasingly apparent to readers that a number of Medway Conservatives and their surrogates are openly backing lead Estuary airport petitioner, and arch Tory, Boris Johnson for Mayor.

Ordinarily this would not be a surprise. Many of the same backed him in 2008 despite his manifesto containing a statement on an Estuary airport solution.

Today though; Backing his campaign which if successful will make an Estuary Airport more likely not less. A direct betrayal to Medway residents and the cross-party position signed up to by Medway Conservatives.

Sometimes we all need to put party affiliation aside and campaign against the greater threat to our wellbeing as a community. Whilst both parties oppose Labour had made it clear that we want people to have a direct-say on the proposal at the ballot box; a chance for people to send a message to Cameron.

Putting aside Boris Johnson's uncanny ability to be a clown with public money he is the only candidate openly backing the destruction of the Hoo Peninsula.

Medway Conservatives need to stop sitting on the fence and start to campaign against their own Conservative Party mayoral candidate.

Medway Labour will be challenging Conservatives about who they will be backing; the party machine or local resident interest. Will they back Cameron's candidate for the Estuary Airport or candidates opposed.

Raw politics is simple; if Boris loses the idea goes down the pan. If Boris wins; rest assured the consultation in the summer will contain an Estuary Solution and more and more of our tax payers money will have to be spent on having to challenge this ludicrous idea.

The people of the Hoo Peninsula want to see local Conservatives are not being two-faced Tories. It is time for them to back the party machine; Boris Johnson or back candidates who oppose the Boris Airport.

Where do they stand? Make you mind up.

Cameron U-turn complete

Cameron is backing Boris Johnson

A very worrying development from an article tonight in the FT concerning the Estuary Airport proposal which highlights that Cameron has now been actively persuaded to the idea of a North Kent airport.

We all know the Conservative Party has distorted, u-turned and snubbed local residents, and have quite frankly, treated the residents of the Hoo Peninsula with utter contempt. The countless snubs to our repeated petitions is just the beginning of the 'divide and rule' tactics that London Conservatives will foist on our area.

I have to ask why Cameron picked Justine Greening MP last year to be Transport Secretary; a cynic would say she was picked to totally rule out Heathrow whilst actively open to an airport elsewhere.

Cameron has lied. Pure and simple; Lied. You can not trust local Tories if they continue to support a leader that can go through such a brazen and overt u-turn. They are simply not to be trusted.

According to sources behind the scenes quoted from the FT on the Estuary Airport

"The prime minister’s allies confirm he is drawn to the idea and that there was a “fairly high” chance the option could emerge as the best means of increasing the south-east’s airport capacity at the end of a study of all the options."

The letter today in the Telegraph was not good enough; a tiny number of signatures from a tiny number of MPs and campaigners. It was almost worse to have a letter with such few signatures...

If we are to fight this off the mass ranks of Conservative MPs need to declare where they stand; I fear many want the airport.

Three years ago I warned Tories and residents this Cameron u-turn would happen.

Thames Estuary Airport Referendum

Another day, and another article, in the editorial leader in the Times making clear the government is looking very favourably at an Estuary Airport proposal in the Thames Estuary.

It seems the ceaseless drip drip of national press coverage coming from leaks in government and the London Conservative spin machine is nothing short of managed. Pravda would be proud at the manner in which the public expectation is being managed by the Tory government; slowly but surely changing the goal posts and the psyche of the public.

This blog has been clear; it has never, and shall never, support an airport on the Thames Estuary.

The idea would destroy and uproot communities, undermine years of planned regeneration, cause ten to fifteen years of transport and roadwork chaos (as if we dont have enough), and lead to the re-definition of Medway as a place. Our civic fabric would be for ever be altered.

Whilst this above point is agreed across all political groups, the manner in which we have ended at this point has not.

The simple fact is that the Medway Conservatives are exposed as never before. Exposed by government policy changing and the goal posts moving. Exposed by the mutterings that Kent County Council can be bought off and that Cllr Chambers was none too pleased about being foisted onto a regional LEP forum. Exposed by our MPs running for the hills after the u-turn in November. It is clear that whilst they dithered others moved on... the moving slide from island to on-site.

This blog has been vitriolic in its opinion that Conservatives are being two-faced on this issue.

This is reality not fiction; the London Conservative Party and many in government, including Stephen Hilton and George Osborne, are continuing and actively pursuing this policy; meanwhile local Tories are running lack-lustre campaigns, in their own words 'verbal grenades' to try and 'contain' the threat.

The local Tories have finally accepted that verbal 'grenades' from Chambers and Jarrett have, not unsurprisingly given no one knows who they are beyond our Authority borders (believe me), had any impact in Whitehall. It is, and always was, simply naive to think that non-entities from a Local Authority in Kent can compete with the weight of the elected offices in London, and thus in November it reached a crunch point - on the movement of Philip Hammond MP.

Now a cynic would not suggest that putting an anti-Heathrow expansion campaigner as Transport Secretary was planned; the Kremlinology of this could twist the logic in most people. However, what we all know is George Osborne, after sustained lobbying from the London anti-heathrow campaign, the public near Heathrow airport (who were mobilised) and Justine herself the idea of expansion was ruled out of the aviation paper.

The point of note; the Thames Estuary was categorically not ruled out, despite that being the line-in-the-sand for local MPs set by the opposition and public

And yes, our MPs cant absolve themselves; they were happy to take the credit for challenging Cameron, and spinning letters to the press, but when the proverbial 'brown' hit the fan in November they ran for the hills. They have consistently failed to grasp the nettle and have accepted on face-value bland utterances from the Tory leadership; I believe they are also ignored in Whitehall as being either extreme or naive. I am angry at their failure... too right given the warnings and the known history of government undermining local MPs on this issue...

I was attacked last night by Tory Councillors not because I was wrong but because I challenged them with fact and set out their failures which are documented on this blog over time; and the simple fact is they have misjudged the politics. I was accused of being a 'silly child' and of being young (coincidentally both Tracey and Rehman are of the same generation), accused of grinning at the plight of residents and callously playing a partisan hand. I was staggered and bemused by the utter level of contempt from politicians who have braved local politics for decades; who are happy to have elections on Police Commissioners and on the EU during the Eurozone crisis, but not on something which poses an existential threat to our towns.

Simple truth; it sometimes takes someone who has not been blinkered by years of Council bureaucracy and compromise to see the wood from the trees. A fresh set of eyes not inwardly facing but outwardly looking; I am not an 'insider' run tired by years of officer-driven compromise, and I am proud of that. It seems a few too many of those exist; apologizing for a lack of ambition not pushing for the possible.

So it came to our amendment for a referendum last night which was rejected by the Conservatives.

Labour proposed the referendum with the full knowledge that on the latest Council poll that the majority nationally oppose the idea. Given the fact the local population will be most impacted and against, we felt a public vote would give a massive mandate and democratic punch to the no campaign and challenge the government and the Mayor of London head on. Not taking into account the potential impacts on the Peninsula in the future and the current ongoing impacts of dithering (house prices, business investment) we thought it necessary to give people a voice and stop this once and for all.

The referendum was to happen, but the question itself, and this is important, was to be referred to a cross-party forum for consideration. That is important because Tories still objected to giving the people a forum to oppose, despite the fact they could help write the question. Interventions from my colleagues making rational cases for its inclusion with their input were rejected as mischief.

Ruling out a future referendum was a mistake. The Conservatives rejected allowing the people a say; rejected the idea of Parish referendums and whilst accepting that 'pie-in-the-sky' had not worked refused to acknowledge the public any stake in deciding on the future for our towns.

Despite the amendment being rejected I did vote to support the establishment of the anti-airport cabinet group; my parting message was that this can not just be a forum for endless dithering and delay; and that a full blown lamp post poster campaign be set up as soon as possible to galvanize opposition.

In reality the public wont grasp, or care, who is sitting on what sub-cabinet group, but it will be important to see whether the Tories water-down proposals for campaign activity on this body. Watch this space.

I hope that in the future that the Parishes can take our idea and run with it; I will be suggesting to them they pursue localised versions of it. Despite the groans from two in the audience there is a worrying lack of understanding about the proposal; let me clear, this is to give a democratic mandate and add weight, and recognition to the anti-airport campaign. A vote would confer weight in London and the corridors of Westminster.

My closing statements were clear; the Tories rejected the idea of giving the public a say, they have mismanaged and underplayed the threat and have been caught exposed, our MPs have been woeful in Westminster and it is clear that ongoing dithering, will only lead to the public perception that one lot of Tories are saying one thing and other lot in Medway another. This is the history; the future is for them to finally grasp this issue and fight for our residents tooth and nail; I suspect and fear the weak leadership they have already shown will continue.

I hope this cross-party cabinet works but the proof is not a pie-in-the-sky but on a lamp post near you.

Will they step up; I really hope so for all those living in Medway

Civil Aviation Authority backs airport

Tory Boris endorsing the destruction of the Peninsula

Another week and another public body comes out to endorse the proposal for an airport in the Thames Estuary

It seems the endless march to the inevitable paper in April is all but certain to include plans for airports on the Peninsula, an island close to the Peninsula and at Southend.

Full Council on Thursday will consider a badly written and rushed paper on the airport which shows that Cllr Rodney Chambers has been forced into a LEP (Local Enterprize Partnership) Group which does not actually discount an Estuary airport. Indeed, he is sitting alongside Paul Carter who actually wants an airport in the Estuary.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) - that government sponsered quango with responsibility for airways - today advised Government that without a credible, long-term Aviation Policy Framework that focuses and allows capacity to develop sustainably, it is likely that prices will rise, route choice will drop and the UK economy will suffer.

Andrew Haines, CAA Chief Executive

“Additional capacity would offer significant benefits for consumers, and for the UK as a whole, so long as it is delivered in an environmentally sustainable way. However, as we haven’t built a single runway in the south east of England capable of handling Boeing 747s and Airbus A380s for over 70 years, the difficulty of increasing capacity is obvious. This underlines the importance of an integrated policy framework that addresses environmental and planning dimensions as well as consumer need.

“However, in the South East, although a number of measures will help improve use of existing facilities and increase flexibility and resilience; these are essentially short-term fixes and are not enough to maintain the UK’s direct access to global markets alone without additional runway capacity. As such, developing appropriate additional capacity would deliver significant benefits to consumers and wider benefits to the UK economy."

Nothing was mentioned about the flight path issue which a number of Conservative Councillors for some reason think is important. All flight paths could br managed; oh well one argument demolished almost instantly.

Of course play back 12 months ago and all three Conservative MPs were stating it would never come to a government paper; the failure for them to grasp the nettle is now obvious for most to see. The low-key and shocking Medway Conservative campaign 'pie-in-the-sky' was a joke and deliberately kept as such to get Tories elected.

The biggest people to be let down are those on the Peninsula who were cuddled by Ashcroft and the Conservatives over the plans for Grain, [which were nowhere near as developed], but which opportunistic Tories spun into a position for electoral gain. We all remember the posters designed to look like independent ones and the sheer volume of fibs about Bob Marshall-Andrews to curry a few votes...

Well its payback - from all those voters whose house prices are falling, who are insecure about the future and who have totally lost trust in their Conservative representatives. The more Tories ignore this issue the tighter the screws will turn...

This blogger has spoken to independent parish councillors, chairman and residents and the simple fact is they have lost faith in Mark Reckless to have any influence over the airport process - many think his head is with the European issue and not focused on domestic problems.

Any MP with any thought would be running to endorse the airport in Birmingham now that HS2 has been accepted. Birmingham wants a new mega-airport and the rail network gives them an opportunity.

Tracey has run away from it and Rehman barely mentions it. CCHQ look like they have given them media advice, but unfortunately the about turn is visible for everyone to see; waxing lyrical about the airport in August and September to be silent in December. Come off it; get a grip

The House of Commons meets on Thursday to discuss Transport Questions; will any of our MPs seek assurances that the airport will not be in the paper in April?

I will put a bottom dollar that they wont, and even if they do, will get a flagrantly unsubstantive response which they wont challenge.

Over the next couple of days and weeks Medway Conservative MPs will be challenged. They can stop this charade of ignoring local issue after local issue and back Labour on a consistent position on the airport.

We will see whether they back the people or whether they shirk their responsibilities

George Osborne backing Cliffe / Grain Airport

Boris Johnson has been convincing Conservatives. He also had a meal with Justine Greening MP on her appoitnment to her position as Transport Secretary. Coincidence?

George Osborne the Chancellor of Exchequer is said to have changed his mind on Estuary Airport

The spin from our Medway MPs that the government has 'no plans' for an airport now stands in absolute tatters this weekend as article after article come out in favour of a Number 10 move on the Estuary Airport proposal.

Three major broad-sheets have covered the news that George Osborne and Steve Hilton - key power-players in Westminster - are now baking the scheme. The airport may even feature in the November financial statement should George Osborne wish to discuss infrastructure investments.

Conservative Party, Boris Johnson who has been the major cheer-leader for the bulldozing of the Peninsula is due to speak tomorrow, citing that the Estuary airport is a serious plan and is not a 'pie-in-the-sky'

This is a direct snub to Medway residents and highlights once and for all the utter failure of the Medway Conservative 'pie-in-the-sky' campaign. Time and time and time again they have been told to stop treating this issue as a 'pie-in-the-sky' joke and run a proper, funded and visual campaign.

Such a campaign was run against Cliffe in 2002/2003 and resulted in a win for the community.

This is not a new issue; it has been ongoing for three / four years and at every time the goal-posts have slipped a notch. From a Boris Island, to Cliffe and now to Grain; we see a constant notch movement by Conservatives, and it is Conservatives make no mistake, to effectively engage the public in a debate on an issue.

The accusation is that the Conservatives are trying to soften up the public appetite by having a proxy-debate on the airport to ascertain local opposition. This is why a funded campaign locally is so important.

This is also the failure of Mark Reckless, Tracey Crouch and Rehman Chisthi. They have all been too easily duped by the 'no plans' argument as a quick win to shut down local debate. As this blog has consistently stated; a time-limited 'plans' response allows significant lee-way for future movement.

Those that have wanted to campaign have been rebuffed as crying 'wolf' as 'spinning' and trying to manufacture an issue; but when every Sunday newspaper publishes the same story and you are aware of active lobbying behind closed doors, what more can the opposition do then moan loudly which have done for years..

People are now asking how local MPs have called it so wrong, and rest assured the people of the Peninsula will have their day at the ballot box in 2015; but it is time now, finally, for Conservatives to put the community first.

They need to accept that the community on the Peninsula needs a properly funded and visual campaign to oppose this airport plan and they need it now.

Time for talk is over; get your boots on, get the lamp-post signs up and fight the government as hard as you can.

The Peninsula faces an existential threat; it will cease to be a place if Boris, Hilton and George Osborne get their way; only the ruling Conservative group has the ability and resources to run a proper campaign and work the leavers of influence in Gun Wharf.

They need to do so now.

Estuary Airport back on agenda

London Conservatives publish 167 page scoping document on air travel today

The two-faced Tory attempt to rubbish the idea of an Estuary Airport with polling, has suffered a major set back this weekend as the London Mayor released a 167 page scoping document on the necessity for additional airport capacity.

The paper which includes detailed breakdown of economic flows makes it clear that the Birmingham option is not sustainable over the medium term and rubbishes the 'Heathwick' proposal.

The publication of this report comes conveniently after the appointment of Justine Greening MP who has been vociferously opposed to any further development at Heathrow, which could put any plans to expand Heathrow/Gatwick on hold. The paper makes clear the option for Birmingham is a non-starter due to mid-term capacity problems. Medway Tory Councillors had, this blog believes, been briefing the press informally that this option was potentially the likely outcome...

Daniel Moylan, the Deputy Chairman of Transport for London, is leading on aviation matters for the Mayor.

“Several ideas have been put forward to try and address our increasing lack of runway capacity. But I remain to be persuaded of there being any workable solution other than the creation of a new hub airport. And the obvious location for a 24 hour airport with the least possible impact on the local population is the Thames Estuary. A true ‘airport city’ of the type never seen before in the UK would provide the capacity we need and provide vital support to the UK economy.”

Outrageous view from the Conservatives. Atypical attitude we have seen over the last couple of months which show the simply dont care about the ecological and historical significance of Medway heritage.

If this proposal is put down into a white paper the three Tory Councillors on the Peninsula should do the honourable thing and become independents so that they can fight any proposal without hindrance to Party loyalty. The public are already cynical about why this proposal is still on the agenda after years of internal Conservative conversations.

This blog made clear a mere 48 hours ago that we are now at risk of having an airport agenda foisted upon us. Our local MPs and Councillor's have been utterly ineffective, and have opposed campaigning proposals, which could be an argument for saying they are trying to protect their electoral base. This ineffective campaign posture could have allowed this airport proposal to gain ground over the last four years.

In 2008, the proposal was merely for an island airport in the Estuary, but local Conservatives have allowed, via support of the Conservative Party ticket in London, the slow and rathet like slippage of an on-site option on the Peninsula. A proposal which is causing severe distress to residents and which could impact house prices in the area.

Our Tory MPs need to get a grip; a clear and unequivocal statement from Justine Greening MP that no scoping or consultation paper will be released on any proposal for an airport in North Kent.

Any deviation of this position will lead residents to think they have hoodwinked us for four years over on an idea which the community has overwhelmingly rejected.

Click below for full article

A ticking time bomb?

Despite the focus on Luton & Wayfield and the Labour Conference, have been regularly in touch with campaigners in Grain and the Peninsula who feel utterly let down by the Conservatives on Medway Council and the actions of the local Parish Council.

Jack Hope, a tenacious campaigner and defender of his community, challenged the Council months ago only to be met by silence by those Tories in power who are happy to take the votes of Peninsula residents for granted.

The Tory Council has moved this week to formerly gag Jack Hope and has blocked all communication

The issue is the proximity of several mega LNG gas terminals - each the size of the Albert Hall - which residents believe present a clear and present danger should there be an accident.

Grain is getting a lot of press of late. The Tories have targeted this village for demolition should Cameron and Boris pick the Foster airport design.

However, the primary concern of residents surrounds the poorly written Emergency Plan which would have to come into effect should their be a major accident at the LNG facility.

The plan, which was written in apparent consultation with Grain Parish Council (though they apparently deny this) and other local actors has been revealed as being riven with errors. Not only does it not take into account the spread of explosive gas, which is highly likely given the proximity of the village, but also gets the number of residents in Grain wrong.

After a number of residents meetings, including one in which Tory Councillor Mike O'Brien handled himself badly (apparently trying to silence an expert witness) they have won small concessions; including an emergency alarm system and an email alert.

Residents still remain very concerned that there is a lack of focus in the Emergency plan on the local primary school and key fact that if the tide were out, the villagers would remain stranded from river access from any emergency crew attempting a rescue via the Medway. In addition, there are concerns around the stretch of fire crews in this location.

The Tory Councillors in this area have not come out in support of their voters. Carpet and brush springs to mind.