1 - I'm pretty sure the Lib Dem candidate who won also campaigned against LHR expansion, so the issue of LHR expansion was off the table.
Obviously the Libdem was against, Libdems are against any airport expansion anywhere, but that's not the point.
The point is that Zac made a stupid rash promise previously (to fight a by-election as an independent if the government went ahead with Heathrow expansion) and foolishly felt obliged to stick to it.
The by-election's entire
raison d'etre was Heathrow expansion. If the issue had not arisen, there would have been no by-election.