Protesters stage hunger strike at Labour Party offices
A GROUP of 35 anti-Heathrow expansion protesters staged a hunger strike outside the offices of the Labour Party.
The desperate protesters are asking for the party to instruct its MPs to vote against the expansion of the airport when the Commons gets the final say in the coming weeks.
At least 12 of the protesters have vowed to continue their civil disobedience protest indefinitely, until the Labour party imposes a three-line whip against expansion.
The protesters gathered outside the Victoria Street headquarters of the Labour party to make their demands known on Saturday.
Some of the hunger strikers were wearing T-shirts reading ‘Love Labour: Hate Heathrow’ and placards reading ‘Vote No Heathrow’ and ‘Hunger Strike.’
The protest comes after the government’s long-awaited National Policy Statement on Airports was published on Tuesday June 5, and the cabinet voted to go ahead with the construction of a third runway, north-west of Heathrow’s current airfield.
The protesters had also been at the Labour office a day before the announcement and some were even arrested as police descended on the offices.
Robin, a 26-year-old Londoner who was on the hunger strike, said: “We are taking this drastic action because this month there is a ‘make or break’ vote on Heathrow in Parliament.
“Everyone needs to tell their MP to vote against this disastrous project. The new runway will accelerate global warming as climate breakdown gets catastrophic and bulldoze hundreds of homes during a UK housing crisis.”
The runway would stretch over the M25, but would still require homes to be destroyed and is likely to cause an increase in noise to some residents currently not affected by aircraft noise, opponents say.
The protesters are concerned about the likely impact of expansion to air pollution in London, as well as the need for enhanced infrastructure so additional traffic does not impact their ability to get about the city.
The protesters also sat outside union buildings in the capital, with Unite, TUC, Community and BALPA all expressing support for the expansion project.
A three-line whip is the strongest indication a party can give to its MPs on how to vote in Parliament.
If a Labour MP defies the threeline whip there can be consequences such as being removed from posts.
The Conservative government is expected to impose a three-line whip in favour of the airport’s expansion, which may cause problems for Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
The Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP famously promised to “lie down with you in front of those bulldozers and stop the building, stop the construction of that third runway”, speaking to protesters.
As a vocal opponent of the third runway, he could face having to resign his senior cabinet post over the issue, as convention dictates any cabinet minister must resign before voting against the government on a three-line whip.
Alex Thompson, a spokesperson for Vote No Heathrow, said: “A new runway will accelerate catastrophic climate breakdown, killing millions around the world.
“Those who stand to gain from the new runway are limited to a wealthy minority of frequent flyers; the rest will suffer a devastated climate, bulldozed local homes and even more toxic air.
“All progressive MPs must oppose expansion of Heathrow.
“We are calling on MPs and influential unions like Unite to look at the bigger picture.
“Climate breakdown is being driven by wealthy people who fly, and the impacts are hitting poorer people first and, worst, who do not fly.
“We want a stable planet with stable work, not a broken planet with insecure work – that starts with opposing Heathrow expansion.”
On announcing the cabinet’s decision to back the third runway, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Today I am laying before Parliament our final proposal for an Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) which signals our commitment to securing global connectivity, creating tens of thousands of local jobs and apprenticeships, and boosting our economy for future generations by expanding Heathrow Airport.”
He added: “My department has met with local residents and fully understands their strength of feeling, but this is a decision taken in the national interest and based on detailed evidence.”