If the councils had not sold the airport off to Peel on the cheap
It wasn't, or there would have been a queue of prospective buyers. It was sold to attract an investor as the councils didn't have the money to develop the airport.
who had a clear mandate to acquire the airport which has led to the current ownership structure.
He had a clear mandate to bring the airport into public ownership, but don't think that stretched to the opaque "
current ownership structure"