Monday, February 10, 2025
HomeNewsAirport expansion protest outside Rachel Reeves' Bramley office

Airport expansion protest outside Rachel Reeves’ Bramley office

Climate campaigners have held a protest against airport expansion outside Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ constituency office in Bramley Shopping Centre.

Protesters are lobbying against plans to expand Heathrow, a move Ms Reeves says could create 100,000 jobs.

They called on the government to accept the recommendations of its expert advisers, the Climate Change Committee, and prevent the expansion of UK airports until there’s a large scale solution to aviation’s greenhouse gas emissions problem. 

Photo: Neil Terry Photography

Nick Hodgkinson, Chair of the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA), said: “It’s deeply disappointing to hear the Chancellor announce her support for Heathrow expansion. This flies in the face of repeated advice from the government’s own advisers not to allow airports to grow at this time. Why have experts and then ignore them?”

“The aviation industry claims that ‘sustainable’ aviation fuel will soon solve its greenhouse gas problem but all the independent experts disagree. They warn that it’s simply not possible to make enough alternative fuel to cut emissions from flying at the speed we need to reach net zero.”

He added: “One day, it may be possible to fly without polluting the environment. But that day is a long way off and we need to cut all greenhouse gases now. Everyone has seen the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and the floods in England this year – that’s the reality of climate change.”

Ian Coatman, GALBA’s Secretary, labelled the Heathrow statement as “mad, bad and irresponsible”. He said: “The claims made about airport expansion being good for the economy are overstated. Flights for business purposes fell by nearly a third between 2019 and 2023, with 3.9 million fewer business trips made. And yet the economy grew by 1.8% over the same period.”

The protest follows Rachel Reeves’ backing a proposed third runway at Heathrow.

Photo: Neil Terry Photography

In an interview with the BBC’s economics editor Faisal Islam, the Leeds West and Pudsey MP said she wants a planning application for a third runway at Heathrow “signed off” before the next election, which must happen by 2029.

“A third runway is badly needed,” Ms Reeves said, adding the government “cannot duck the decision any longer”.

She added: “We know that we have to grow our economy, [and] we can’t keep saying no to big infrastructure projects.”

Trade unions welcomed the Heathrow announcement and the airport’s chief executive Thomas Woldbye described the chancellor’s speech as “the bold, responsible vision the UK needs to thrive in the 21st century. “

Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves.

Reeves: “I would support Leeds Bradford expansion”

Ms Reeves has also been questioned on her Heathrow stance after previously opposing the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport.

As reported by WLD on 12 June 2020, Ms Reeves opposed plans for a £150 million new terminal at Leeds Bradford Airport, saying the proposals ‘would significantly increase air and noise pollution’.

She said at the time: “A number of my constituents in Leeds West have contacted me about the possible expansion and I have listened to their concerns, particularly about the environmental impact of the scheme.

“I believe the proposed new terminal would significantly increase air and noise pollution in the area around the airport and undermine vital efforts to ensure that Leeds upholds its commitment to become a carbon neutral city by 2030.

“There is also the risk that a potential increase in passengers from four million to seven million a year would exacerbate existing issues with traffic congestion and vehicle emissions.

“With the ongoing climate emergency, we need to invest in alternative carbon-friendly modes of transport which cause less damage to our environment. Nationally, the Government needs to be doing far more to combat the climate emergency.”

The issue was raised this morning in an interview with Ms Reeves by BBC Breakfast presenter Charlie Stayt. He said: “Is it true, chancellor, that just a few years ago you yourself fought against an expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport citing air and noise pollution reasons?”

Ms Reeves replied: “So that was in the pandemic when people weren’t really flying. A lot has changed since then, including how aeroplanes fly, including sustainable aviation fuel, and as that evidence changes I think it is right to look again at airport expansion.”

Mr Stayt said: “People will have been listening carefully to your answer just then, chancellor. I think you said that you did oppose Leeds Bradford Airport’s expansion because of air and noise pollution reasons, and people don’t like it when there are double standards.

“You didn’t want it close to your home, but now with Heathrow you’re taking an entirely different approach.”

But Reeves, who is the MP for Leeds West and Pudsey, said: “Things have changed and if plans came forward again at Leeds Bradford I would support expansion.

“But during the pandemic people weren’t flying, and the way that people fly has changed in the last few years, with the improvements and efficiency of engines, and with sustainable aviations fuel.”

8 COMMENTS

  1. Rachael from accounts a total hypocrite
    Can’t make her mind up to support or be against LBA expansion
    As a MP for the area she should be supporting growth and the area having brilliant transport infrastructure
    She only was against LBA before because all the Leeds Labour MP’s were on bed with GALBA

  2. I counted 11 people on a photograph of this protest. After 5 years of preaching that the future of mankind is directly linked to whether a few more flights land and take off at Leeds Bradford, I would have expected a better turn out. Considering how many people from Leeds use LBA and the even bigger number that travel over to Manchester, GALBA’s message clearly isn’t cutting through. I imagine most people see them for what they are, a group of NIMBYs exaggerating the impact of LBA on climate change in order to achieve their primary aim of having fewer planes flying over homes they chose to purchase under the flight path.

    • Couldn’t agree more about the totally unelected and windbag group that GALBA are. I’d give them credit in that they manipulate the lazy local media by writing articles for them. It’s a bit late for Reeves supporting expansion now the airport opted to just extend the terminal rather than ( ironically) a new ” Greener”one but HeyHo better late than never.
      Pity she is throwing lots of taxpayers cash at both Doncaster and Teeside. I guarantee Brabin won’t spend a penny on improving public transport to LBA.:-(

  3. This is a question of trade-off: spend more money such as garbage collection frequency, lesser council tax, more subsidy on bus fare on Bus routes 27,28, …on neighbouring areas around Leeds Bradford Airport, to exchange for their sacrifice on noise pollution. To expand airport areas will create more job opportunities, and those neighbouring citizens have priority to fill these posts!

  4. As usual people virtue signal their concerns about the climate crisis, but when it actually comes to compromising their high emissions lifestyle one iota, they’re not interested. Do we really believe that todays youngsters complain to their parents that they should cancel that foreign holiday, or not buy that latest SUV or home tech? No of course they don’t. Its a shame we don’t make more of our domestic holiday venues, rather than sending more and more plane fulls of spending power out of the country all the time.

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