‘Do the honourable thing and resign’
HILLINGDON Council will be asked to consider passing a motion calling for Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Minister for Policing, Nick Hurd, to resign because they failed to stand up for their constituents’ views, and vote against the Heathrow expansion.
Mr Johnson who is MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip had previously promised his constituents he would “lie down in front of those bulldozers” if a third runway was ever built.
But last Monday, June 25, it emerged he had skipped the vote by flying to Afghanistan to meet with its deputy foreign minister, having been told by Prime Minister Theresa May he would have to resign if he voted against.
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner MP, Nick Hurd, also stayed quiet on the issue and failed to turn up to vote. He has kept a relatively low profile over Heathrow in recent times, but says on his website he feels his job is to represent his constituents on the issue.
The motion which will be tabled by the Labour group’s deputy leader, Councillor Peter Money, reads: “That this Council notes that it con- ducted a local referendum in which 66%, of those who took part, opposed Heathrow expansion. This Council, therefore, expresses its disappointment that Boris Johnson MP and Nick Hurd MP didn’t stand by their election pledges to put our residents first, and vote against a third Runway at Heathrow.
“That this Council calls upon the leader of the council to use his influence to persuade Boris Johnson MP and Nick Hurd MP to consider their positions, do the honourable thing and resign, to make way for MPs who will put our residents before their own self-interest.”
Mr Johnson explained his disappearance by writing to local council- lors saying his resignation over Heathrow would have “achieved absolutely nothing”. He also pledged he would continue to fight against the third runway from within government and reasserted his belief it will never be built.
Government ministers had been told by Prime Minister Theresa May they would have to resign if they didn’t back the runway, but Mr Johnson has been a well-known opponent of the scheme for many years and has backed alternative schemes like the so-called ‘Boris island’ airport in the Thames Estuary. Get West London has approached both politicians for comment.