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I blundered in vote, admits MP fighting Heathrow expansion
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent29.01.09
A LABOUR MP who has campaigned against Heathrow expansion spoke today of his "huge embarrassment" for siding with the Government over plans for a third runway.
Martin Linton stunned his colleagues by voting against a Commons motion urging ministers to reconsider the proposals.
The Battersea MP, 64, who has been an MP for 11 years, had been part of a group which had urged Gordon Brown to reject at the 11th hour the plan for another runway. Today he insisted he had been left high and dry after deciding to vote against the Conservative motion, because he thought there would also be a second vote on the Government's proposals. But only one vote was held, leaving former Guardian journalist Mr Linton appearing to have done a U-turn on his stance on Heathrow. However, he told the Evening Standard: "I'm just hugely embarrassed that I managed to fluff my chance to vote against it. Sometimes funny things happen in Parliament."
As proof of his opposition to expansion, he stressed he had signed up to buy a plot of land on the third runway site as part of Greenpeace's scheme to scupper airport growth.
Meanwhile, Ealing Southall MP Virendra Sharma told why he had resigned as a ministerial aide to vote against the Government. He stressed he felt this was "morally" right.
"I have campaigned against Heathrow expansion and a third runway for a long time as a local councillor and resident of Southall," he said.
Nearly 50 London Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs supported the Tory motion urging ministers to rethink the expansion proposals for the airport or did not vote. The Government won the vote with the support of 28 MPs in the capital, though its majority was cut to just 19. However, this would have been wiped out if 19 Labour MPs, who had signed another similarly worded motion calling on ministers to consider again their aviation policy, had not voted for the Government last night. They included Alan Keen (Feltham & Heston) and Martin Linton (Battersea).
Nine Labour MPs in London voted with the Opposition parties, with seven not voting, including normally loyal MPs Emily Thornberry and Stephen Pound.
Shadow London minister Justine Greening said: "MPs representing millions of Londoners have spoken. The vast majority have not given support for a third runway at Heathrow.."
However, some MPs argued that Heathrow needed to expand to remain an international hub airport and support the economy. Mr Keen defended his decision not to go into the voting lobby with the Tories by insisting they had made the debate "party politic". His wife, Ann Keen, Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth, also voted against the motion.
HOW THEY VOTED
For Opposition motion calling for a rethink on Heathrow third runway
Labour: Diane Abbott (Hackney N & Stoke Newington); Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead); Jeremy Corbyn (Islington N); Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras); Kate Hoey (Vauxhall); John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington); Nick Raynsford (Greenwich & Woolwich); Virendra Sharma (Ealing Southall); Andrew Slaughter (Ealing Acton & Shepherd's Bush) Conservative: David Burrowes (Enfield S'thgate); Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford & Woodford Gn); Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet); David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford); Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster); Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell); Justine Greening (Putney); Greg Hands (H'smith & Fulham); John Horam (Orpington); Nick Hurd (Ruislip Northwood); Jacqui Lait (Beckenham); Richard Ottaway (Croydon S); Andrew Pelling (Croydon C); John Randall (Uxbridge); Andrew Rosindell (Romford); Lee Scott (Ilford N); Ian Taylor (Esher and Walton); Bob Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst); James Brokenshire (Hornchurch); Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Kensington & Chelsea); Angela Watkinson (Upminster); Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) Liberal Democrat: Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington); Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam); Vince Cable (Twickenham); Ed Davey (Kingston & Surbiton); Lynne Featherstone (Horsney & Wood Gn); Simon Hughes (Southwark N & Bermondsey); Susan Kramer (Richmond Pk); Sarah Teather (Brent E)
Against the motion
Labour: Dawn Butler (Brent S); Andrew Dismore (Hendon); Clive Efford (Eltham); Mike Gapes (Ilford S); Barry Gardiner (Brent N); Harriet Harman (Camberwell & P'kham); Keith Hill (Streatham); Meg Hillier (Hackney S & Shoreditch); Margaret Hodge (Barking); Glenda Jackson (H'stead & Highgate); Tessa Jowell ( Dulwich & W Norw'd); Alan Keen (Feltham & Heston); Ann Keen (Brentf'd & Islew'th); Sadiq Khan (Tooting); David Lammy (Tottenham); Martin Linton (Battersea); Andrew Love (Edmonton); Tony McNulty (Harrow E); Joan Ruddock (Lewisham Deptf'd); Joan Ryan (Enfield N); Gareth Thomas (Harrow W); Malcolm Wicks (Croydon N); Stephen Timms (East Ham); Bridget Prentice (Lewisham E); Jim Dowd (Lewisham W); Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham & Morden); Jim Fitzpatrick (Polar & Canning Town); Lyn Brown (West Ham)
Did not vote
Labour: John Austin (Erith & Thamesmead); Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North); Jon Cruddas (Dagenham); Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow); Stephen Pound (Ealing North); Emily Thornberry (Islington S & Finsbury); Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green) Conservative: David Wilshire (Spelthorne) Independent: Derek Conway (Old Bexley & Sidcup); George Galloway (Bethnal Green & Bow)
Reader views (18)
We should go one step further and vote in an entirely new party - one composed of people who know what the reality of living here is actually like. Our MPs simply do not have the correct perspective - the phrase "career politician" says it all. This vote only goes to underline that horse-trading and the whip system will cause our elected representatives to cave in to pressure from the government and vote against our wishes (wether they're dozy gits who wander into the wrong chamber or not). We have an ancient system, littered with stuff which is hundreds of years old, and which seems incapable of innovation and rapid change (especially when it's sorely needed). Couple this with a political class we seem to have (in)bred and we now have a toxic governmental system in the UK.
Heathrow isn't supposed to be there. The conversion to a civil airfield was done "on the sly" (as admitted by the lord who did it at the time in the fifties) and its' continued breaking of every single promise it's ever made regarding expansion is an indication that it must not only be curtailed but destroyed. It simply does not belong where it is.
- Andy W, Reading UK
How on earth did my local MP manage to "accidentally" vote the wrong way? How are we supposed to trust an MP to represent our interests effectively if he cant work out which box is which in a seemingly simple vote?! Time to find out who is the Conservative candidate for Battersea and make sure that I deliberately tick their box at the next general election....
- Sarah, Battersea, London
Steve Sutton, like other aviation lobbiests you of course have failed to even discuss Hoons acknowledgment that more people will die as a result of Heathrow anmd of course any child in a 127 sq km area - large that - will have increased chances of asthma and many others will suffer respiritpry complaints - I have not even mentioned the noise and its corrosive effects on home and family. IOt disgusts me that people can be so happy to watch others suffer in the name of profit and even the government understands there are serious health impliocations and still goes ahead - god forgive NuLabour and anyone else who see's LHR growth as good - think about the lives of people?
- Christian Ball, London, UK
We can all blunder at the next election and vote out the MP's that do not represent us.
- Roger, Surrey
Interesting Glenda Jackson voted in favour of another Heathrow runway. You would have thought as MP for Hampstead and Highgate the last thing she'd want would be yet more planes overhead day and night polluting the air she breathes and disturbing her peace of mind and body. No, but wait, I've just remembered. She doesn't live in Hampstead and Highgate, she lives well away from the flightpath/stackpath that is Hampsead Heath.
- Anne, London UK
Ann Keen's recent 'survey' on expansion at Heathrow showed over 90% of her constituents were against any further expansion at Heathrow. The results of this survey have now been removed from her website, unsurprising considering how she'll now be trying to hide how she stabbed these people in the back last night.
Abstaining might have been a better option if it was such a "party political" issue - but what more can you expect from a married couple who abuse their public office privilege to such an extent that they are known as Mr and Mrs Expenses. Expect to see her small majority wiped out next year.
- Rich, London
It'll be much cheaper, and less confusing, for McLabour to field an obedient monkey in their Batersea seat at the next general election.
And for peanuts, a monkey with a lower IQ would have greater difficulty in getting it wrong!
Roll on 2010.
- Dave, cumbria
A Labour MP without a clue what he's doing.....bet he fits in perfectly! Seriously all you have to do for 65k a year is tick a box every so often!
- Mark, London
As the Army boys used to say? "Pull the other one, it has bells on it!"
- Albert Hall, hove england
Linton voted the way he was told to.
- Alex, brighton
Pity he is not on Performance Related Pay. Come to think of it; pity the lot of them arn't. The taxpayer would save millions
- R Jones, Bristol UK
Quote -
"I blundered in vote", admits MP fighting Heathrow expansion.
Not to worry, when it comes to the General Election your constituents can put this right, they can vote you out!
- Steve.W, B'ham UK
The fact that Alan and Ann Keen's constituents, either directly or indirectly, have jobs related the airport would have guided their vote.
It would be absurd if they voted to make their constituents unemployed becuase Heathrow becomes uncompetitive.
What is surprising is that the local authorities assume that all their constituents are against the airport and consequently spend millions in the names of people who rely on the airport to feed their families!
- Harry, London
It's not just the people around Heathrow who should take action. Here in Lambeth we suffer from the noise pollution. But our MP obviously cares nothing for that or for the environment.
- Sarahn, London, UK
Well of course further from London you get more support for a third runway. It's the "not on my doorstep" mentality, yet another big two fingers to the south. Funnily enough the most vocal opponents to "Boris Island" are in Kent who don't want all the noise and damage to the environment on their doorstep. Who would of thought it.
It makes perfect sense to me that if the economy benefits we should bulldoze the entire north and lease it to foreign nationals to do with as they please. I've never liked Carlisle so lets dump the waste from the world's nukes there, we'll make billions for the all important economy and the only cost is the quality of the lives of people who live no where near me.
- Ian, London
Well, it's hardly surprising that so many London MPs voted against it, is it? I'm more disappointed in those MPs that didn't bother to vote in what is such a crucial London issue.
It's worth bearing in mind that in other parts of the country, the vast majority of people are broadly supportive of the runway - they see it as a facilitator for job creation. The only people nationally who are bothered are environmentalists - as opposed to both the genuine environmentalists and the NIBMYs masquerading as environmentalists in the London-centric debates.
To be honest, the Boris Island project is probably helping garner support for the third runway - the third runway is cheaper, doesn't force business to relocate, and adds only one runway to London instead of four (let's not lose sight of the fact that Boris has said that he would not close Heathrow). Given a choice of the two projects, suddenly the Third Runway at Heathrow looks more appealing.
- Steve, Sutton
I hope all those under the flightpath who's MP's did not vote for the motion remember that fact when they are kept awake all night by increased flights or are taking their children to the doctor with chest problems in a few years....
- Mark, London
Once again we see how labour has used the votes of those MPs from the north to impose their will on those in the south.I hope everyone living in and round Heathrow remeber this come the next election.
- Dave Smith, Croydon
