The Liberal Democrats have today reiterated their opposition to any airport expansion in the south east.
In the party’s manifesto it outlines clearly that because of local issues around air and noise pollution it remains opposed to expansion.
The Lib Dems have always backed a complete ban on the construction of any new runways in the UK but at the party’s conference in Glasgow last October, both deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and business secretary Vince Cable spoke out in support of building a new runway at Gatwick.
In its manifesto published today, the party said it will “carefully consider” the conclusions of the Davies Review into runway capacity and develop a “strategic airports policy for the whole of the UK in the light of those recommendations and advice from the Committee on Climate Change”.
It added: “We remain opposed to any expansion of Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick and any new airport in the Thames Estuary, because of local issues of air and noise pollution. We will ensure no net increase in runways across the UK.”
Both Labour and the Conservatives support expansion and made references to the Howard Davies Airports Commission and said they will look to respond quickly to the report on airport expansion due after the election.