Andrew,
This IS unfortunately a political issue, fiscal references aside, we have lunatics running the asylum in Whitehall who have for decades regarded civilisation as stopping North of Luton. They will stop at nothing to ensure that they can meet their emission targets at the expense of all else. If the result of this is to use up national emission quota's to pass R3 at LHR then their attitude to every other region is F*** you!, the justification being that "it's in the National interest". Problem is this is irrational as they only think as far North as Luton in any event when thinking of the nations interests.
I recall reading some months back a list of projects that would be restricted / canx. if R3 was to proceed as with emission quota's hijacked then effectively all other UK airfields future development would be placed on hold. Of course this will restrict the longhaul ambitions of regional airports such as NCL & LBA. However in the next breath we have the usual "green" idiots suggesting that domestic services should be severly curtailed without any thought as to other consequences. It's far too easy to site rail as an alternative, i.e. the ancient, inadequate, and underfunded network that is basically incapable of improvement without the sort of investment "nationally !" that would fund several R3's.
SWBKCB
Did they say how this would be done - sounds a bit anti-competitive to me...
Simple they reject planning applications, reject funding proposals on basis that the result will exceed the UK's emision quota's !, the description "competitive" will simply be swept under the carpet !