Benali Hamdache, Caroline Russell, Jonathan Bartley, Sian Berry and Tom Chance say a third runway at the airport “would be a disaster for public health and climate change.”
Their intervention came on the day the Airports Commission, led by Sir Howard Davies, recommended expanding the airport to meet the UK’s air capacity shortage.
Both Mayor Boris Johnson and predecessor Ken Livingstone opposed further development at Heathrow which has also been rejected by all four parties which currently sit on the London Assembly.
However some Labour mayoral hopefuls back, or are open to accepting, the Commission’s recommendation and the party’s Assembly group today failed to reject the possibility of a third runway.
Instead the group’s Assembly transport spokesperson said it would “take the time to examine Sir Howard’s findings closely” while acting party leader Harriet Harman used Prime Minister’s Questions to seek assurances that there would be no further delay in implementing the commission’s findings.
In a joint statement the Green hopefuls said: “We call on all mayoral candidates from all parties to unite in opposition to a new runway at Heathrow, which would be a disaster for public health and climate change.
“Both Mayors, the London Assembly and other politicians from across London have long opposed Heathrow expansion. The upcoming Mayoral election should be a referendum on the Airports Commission’s dangerous proposal.”
