London Firstand Let Britain Fly have created the campaign which aims to get MPs to sign up to a commitment to build at least one new runway by 2030.
Baroness Jo Valentine, chief executive of London First, said:
“Let Britain Fly is airport neutral, it does not support any one of the options for airport expansion, we are backing the Airports Commission because they are going through and evidence-based process to come up with a recommendation that we are not seeking to duplicate.
“Its only objective is to get the politicians to do something. We have had 50 years of dithering about airports and we do now want to see some movement from whoever may be in power after the next election. We would like to see the pol recognise the importance of this issue right now.”
The Airports Commission’s interim report said there is a need for at least one new runway by 2030.
Baroness Valentine said: “We have not had any in principle response to that from any of the political parties acknowledging a) the problem and b) the need to build a runway by 2030. If the principal parties can’t even do that, we are extremely worried about how they will respond to the final recommendations in a timely fashion so that we can get a runway built in under a decade.”
A recent survey by the Office of National Statistics showed 59% public support the construction of new runways.
The Let Britain Fly
Pledgeaims to give this “silent majority” a voice in the national debate.
Business leaders, including the heads of Harrods, international manufacturer Kesslers, construction giant Mace, property firm SEGRO, and global law firm Linklaters, urged the British public to speak out on the issue, which they say is crucial to supporting future jobs and growth in the UK.
The Let Britain Fly
Pledgeaims to put pressure on the leaders of the UK’s political parties, calling on them to make a public pledge to build more runway capacity and commit to this in their 2015 election manifestos and ensure a Parliamentary vote on airports expansion in 2016 at the latest.
Using email and social media in the run-up to the election, the campaign aims to engage hundreds of thousands of people across the country ahead of the release of the Airports Commission’s final recommendations next summer.
Gavin Hayes, Director, Let Britain Fly, said:
“It’s not just a short-list of options we need, but the political will to do something – without cross party commitment none of these proposals will get past the drawing board, that’s why we are urging the public to speak out on the need for vital new runways.
“Often in the public debate on airports expansion we hear loudly the concerns of those people who are against; Let Britain Fly now wants to create the space and opportunity for the ‘silent majority’ of people who are in favour of expansion to also have their say.
“The evidence suggests that a majority supports airports expansion, and understands the need to support jobs and growth across the country. Today we are giving them a chance to speak out on this important issue by signing the Let Britain Fly Pledge and demonstrating to politicians that voters think this issue is of national importance.”
In the coming months the campaign will also criss-cross the country, staging a roadshow of events in, Newcastle, Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Liverpool and will have a high-profile presence at the forthcoming party political conferences in Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow.
Michael Ward, Managing Director of Harrods, said:
“Harrods attracts visitors from around the world. But changes in the global economy mean we need to reach out to new markets which complement our existing links. That’s why we have been vocal in the debate over airport expansion.
“But this is not a decision for British business. The Government should be listening to the public, and the evidence suggests that a silent majority support airport expansion. We urge those people to ensure their voice is heard on this vital issue and sign the Let Britain Fly Pledge.”
George Kessler, Director of Kesslers International, said:
“My competitors in Germany, France and Holland have a huge advantage in being able to get to China (where face to face contact is an essential part of doing business) at short notice and more easily than I. In addition they suffer from fewer delays. The issues with second rate air connectivity are stymying the growth potential of our economy. The need for new runways is urgent and our politicians need to show clear leadership on this issue and not hide behind the genuine difficulties of making a decision.”
Baroness Valentine said Let Britain Fly is “making the case for expanding London and the South East’s airports and building cross-party support for that case”.
“We are the business voice, pushing the politicians to take a decision to support our international connectivity,” she said.
“We are funded by business, but we are specifically not funded by the airports and the airlines. We want the politicians to make a decision as soon as possible after the Airports Commission reports finally in the summer of 2015.”