Wilcock Slams Labour on Airport

10.48.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th Jul 2008

Lib Dem Westminster hopeful Peter Wilcock writes "The hymn of praise to airport expansion by Stephen Sartain, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Saffron Walden, shows just how out of touch he is with the constituency he seeks to represent and just how little the Labour Party cares about the environment."

"Mr Sartain is clearly unaware of the overwhelming opposition of the residents of Saffron Walden Constituency to the expansion of Stansted Airport. When residents of Uttlesford District (which makes up most of the constituency) were asked in a referendum if they wanted more runways at Stansted Airport, 89% of those who responded said no. The turnout in the referendum (organised by the independent and respected Electoral Reform Services) was 69% - higher than at the last General Election.

"Under Labour, the cost of air travel has halved while the cost of travelling by rail has continued to grow. Yet travelling by air produces almost four times as much carbon dioxide as taking the train. Aviation is still receiving massive tax breaks, while more of the railways' costs are being passed on to passengers. No wonder nobody believes that Labour will do anything serious to tackle climate change.

According to a recent assessment by the Green Standard - an environmental coalition of nine of the UK's leading environmental groups (CPRE, Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, Greenpeace, National Trust, RSPB, Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust and WWF-UK) - the Conservatives are even worse when it comes to taking action to protect the environment. There is no better illustration of this than their stance on an eco-town at Elsenham. Conservative district councillors are in favour of it - indeed they came up with the idea in the first place. Conservative county councillors are against it. The Conservatives are hopelessly paralysed on this vital issue and are failing to give any sort of lead to the local community. By contrast, Liberal Democrats have consistently stood four-square with the local community against what is obviously an unsustainable development.

Labour have come third in this area at every General Election since 1974, finishing behind the Liberal Democrats. The Labour Party has lost every single one of its District Councillors in Saffron Walden Constituency. Every vote for Labour just lets the Conservatives off the hook on the environment.

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The Green Standard: Tests for environmental leadership is a joint initiative by nine of the UK's leading environmental groups.