Brown Commits Government to Heathrow Expansion Environmental Madness.
At the weekend many will have missed the statement Gordon Brown made virtually committing the Government to a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow airport. This is not just environmental lunacy, it is also an assault on the human rights of tens of thousands who will lose their homes or have their local environment poisoned by air pollution and destroyed by noise pollution.
Brown's position on Heathrow expansion exposes the existence in Britain of a corporate political complex where the interests of big corporations have so permeated government that the major decisions of this Government are indistinguishable from the Boardroom demands of the leading companies in each commercial sector.
There’s a brutal arrogance about the corporate political complex that we know as New Labour. This has been no better demonstrated than in the Government’s behaviour on Heathrow expansion.
It isn’t just that this Government like every past government has acceded to every demand ever made of them by the aviation industry ranging from tax exemptions on fuel to turning a blind eye to the environmental impacts of uncontrolled expansion.
It is more the way that this time government under New Labour has actively colluded and connived with BAA so blatantly to fit up and fix the decision making process.
Spurious consultations and ludicrously doctored scientific assessments; government departments and even Number 10 populated by staff either coming from or going to lucrative posts in the aviation industry and funds poured into political parties or pet government projects to smooth the path of decision making.
A scale of contamination of the policy process we have never witnessed so starkly in this country.
In the face of an immense and unprecedented broad ranging coalition of opposition to Heathrow expansion, the Government has legislated to fix the planning process so that opposition voices are stifled. Even Parliament is to be denied a vote on the issue.
But the world has changed since Government ministers and members of BAA’s board first colluded on how to fix this decision.
The arduous but extremely effective opposition campaign, particularly over the last 5years, has exposed the Government’s role and its arguments for expansion. The result is that deep in Government doubts are now growing about the value of being virtually isolated on this issue.
There is also a growing consciousness that many people will not now simply accept a decision that so blatantly ignores the concerns of a vast section of our population and that rides roughshod over our democratic principles and practices.
Democratic government requires the consent of the governed. The savage impact of Heathrow expansion not just in devastating local communities but also in increasing the risks of climate change is mobilising a campaigning zeal to deny that consent to be passively governed. Vehement opposition has not been seen like this since the suffragettes and the early trade union movement.
Inevitably in this period of recession arguments for Heathrow expansion will be dressed up as vital to saving jobs and the national economy. The hope of the Government and BAA is that short term economic uncertainties will override environmental concerns.
This argument may have some limited impact but with high speed rail alternatives being promoted offering the same employment and economic advantages whilst overcoming many of the environmental concerns, people are not so gullible this time round.
A wise Government would recognise that the game is up on aviation expansion at any cost and make a fresh start on determining a rational policy for aviation’s role in an integrated and sustainable transport strategy.
The alternative is a vista of a decade ahead of a sustained campaign of protest and direct action as Heathrow becomes the internationally recognised iconic battleground for protest against climate change.
I have attached the video of my speech at the recent Climate Change demonstration.
I have come to the conclusion that the Labour Party are beyond redemption. In the past when the Party swung to to the right, members always had the knowledge that things would swing back again. But now, as John points out, the interests of big corporations have so permeated Government, there is no hope. There is no longer any real difference between Labour and the Tories. Worse still, New Labour now have an iron grip on the party, and methods of control that would make Machiavelli blush. Anyone who disagrees is sidelined, marginalised, or pushed out (hence 50% of members leaving since 1997). In my view, Trade Unions should now withdraw all funding from New Labour, and use it to set up a new party to protect workers rights. Of course the Party would be called The Labour Party, and all those of us who are sick of New Labour or who have already left, would immediately join, and have a Party to vote for again. I think it's a fallacy that we have to work within the Party, because only Labour have any chance of being elected. Actually, without members, or Trade Union support Labour would not exist. At the very least, doing this would give the leadership food for thought (as it did when the gang of three left to form the SDP, and forced Labour to the right).
If we are strong enough to make a real difference by leaving, we are strong enough to make a much bigger difference by staying. But we have to have the political will to do it. If there was any possibility that the unions might withdraw their funding, then they might do something more constructive, such as come out strongly for John in the leadership campaign last year, or use their power and influence to get a decent set of policies passed at the NPF. Unfortunately they primarily choose to do public hand-wringing and private deals.
So I suspect were anybody to attempt a 'new workers party' (an attempt I don't support) it would be an abject failure because very few would follow (in fact, unless it were genuinely the Labour Party leaving a right-wing rump behind, I wouldn't follow; I didn't leave the party over Iraq, for God's sake). It would be much more useful if you put your efforts into campaigning for members and unions to use their power and influence in concert to genuinely move the party. If there is a constituency there that could genuinely contemplate forming anything but yet another tiny party flogging red-banner-top papers at rallies, then there's a constituency there that could genuinely start to turn the Labour Party around and make use of power. I think that constituency is there, but we have to have unity of purpose.
I understand your point Duncan, but with respect, I no longer think it is possible to make a difference by staying. As I said in my previous post, New Labour now have an iron grip on the party, and sideline/push out anyone who disagarees. They also have zero integrity. For example, my local Party has just selected an ex-Tory, to stand as Labour candidate in a Town Council By-election, despite the fact that he was not even a member of the Labour Party at the time of selection . The South East regional Organisor tells me this is within Party rules, and that if I make a fuss (i.e. go to the local press), I will be breaking Party rules, and liable to expulsion (so apparently it is OK to select a Tory who isn't even a Labour member to represent Labour, but not OK to complain about it). Remember too, Labour have lost around 50% of members since 1997, so there are quite a few potential members to sign up to a new Party. Also I suspect the reason Trade Unions go in for public hand ringing and private deals, is that there is no available alternative. I also think that a split, would force New Labour to shift ground (as Labour did when the gang of three left to form the SDP). I have been a member of the Labour Party for twenty nine years, so I think I do have political will - but I also have the experience to know when I am flogging a dead horse!.
Maybe I'm just young, but I think there is hope, because I think these people are being idiots, they are making foolish choices by trying to see the big picture, with all the irony that entails.
We need to attack the very core of these arguments, efficiency (how and for whom?), competition (will the airport really disappear, or just stabilise?), well known hubs (doesn't everyone get their tickets online now anyway?) etc.
But more broadly, Browns aspiration to "take tough decisions" must guided away from elitism, from activities that "everyone knows are good but unpopular", but are actually unpopular because they are bad!
There is a language he listens to, which includes many good things like stopping child poverty, but also somehow encourages this runway. Find him another tough decision, quick! Something counter-intuitive, but serving a social good.
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Sheer lunacy, all who care about the future should stand shoulder to shoulder on this one.
I have come to the conclusion that the Labour Party are beyond redemption. In the past when the Party swung to to the right, members always had the knowledge that things would swing back again. But now, as John points out, the interests of big corporations have so permeated Government, there is no hope. There is no longer any real difference between Labour and the Tories. Worse still, New Labour now have an iron grip on the party, and methods of control that would make Machiavelli blush. Anyone who disagrees is sidelined, marginalised, or pushed out (hence 50% of members leaving since 1997).
In my view, Trade Unions should now withdraw all funding from New Labour, and use it to set up a new party to protect workers rights. Of course the Party would be called The Labour Party, and all those of us who are sick of New Labour or who have already left, would immediately join, and have a Party to vote for again.
I think it's a fallacy that we have to work within the Party, because only Labour have any chance of being elected. Actually, without members, or Trade Union support Labour would not exist. At the very least, doing this would give the leadership food for thought (as it did when the gang of three left to form the SDP, and forced Labour to the right).
If we are strong enough to make a real difference by leaving, we are strong enough to make a much bigger difference by staying. But we have to have the political will to do it. If there was any possibility that the unions might withdraw their funding, then they might do something more constructive, such as come out strongly for John in the leadership campaign last year, or use their power and influence to get a decent set of policies passed at the NPF. Unfortunately they primarily choose to do public hand-wringing and private deals.
So I suspect were anybody to attempt a 'new workers party' (an attempt I don't support) it would be an abject failure because very few would follow (in fact, unless it were genuinely the Labour Party leaving a right-wing rump behind, I wouldn't follow; I didn't leave the party over Iraq, for God's sake). It would be much more useful if you put your efforts into campaigning for members and unions to use their power and influence in concert to genuinely move the party. If there is a constituency there that could genuinely contemplate forming anything but yet another tiny party flogging red-banner-top papers at rallies, then there's a constituency there that could genuinely start to turn the Labour Party around and make use of power. I think that constituency is there, but we have to have unity of purpose.
I understand your point Duncan, but with respect, I no longer think it is possible to make a difference by staying. As I said in my previous post, New Labour now have an iron grip on the party, and sideline/push out anyone who disagarees. They also have zero integrity. For example, my local Party has just selected an ex-Tory, to stand as Labour candidate in a Town Council By-election, despite the fact that he was not even a member of the Labour Party at the time of selection . The South East regional Organisor tells me this is within Party rules, and that if I make a fuss (i.e. go to the local press), I will be breaking Party rules, and liable to expulsion (so apparently it is OK to select a Tory who isn't even a Labour member to represent Labour, but not OK to complain about it).
Remember too, Labour have lost around 50% of members since 1997, so there are quite a few potential members to sign up to a new Party. Also I suspect the reason Trade Unions go in for public hand ringing and private deals, is that there is no available alternative.
I also think that a split, would force New Labour to shift ground (as Labour did when the gang of three left to form the SDP).
I have been a member of the Labour Party for twenty nine years, so I think I do have political will - but I also have the experience to know when I am flogging a dead horse!.
Maybe I'm just young, but I think there is hope, because I think these people are being idiots, they are making foolish choices by trying to see the big picture, with all the irony that entails.
We need to attack the very core of these arguments, efficiency (how and for whom?), competition (will the airport really disappear, or just stabilise?), well known hubs (doesn't everyone get their tickets online now anyway?) etc.
But more broadly, Browns aspiration to "take tough decisions" must guided away from elitism, from activities that "everyone knows are good but unpopular", but are actually unpopular because they are bad!
There is a language he listens to, which includes many good things like stopping child poverty, but also somehow encourages this runway. Find him another tough decision, quick! Something counter-intuitive, but serving a social good.
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