Jabird,
yes the German Greens were in coalition, and ask any Conservative how easily a junior coalition partner can scupper government policies! The German Greens would have had the same opportunities, rightly, it was not stopped.
Silverstrata,
Think the whole tenor of my comment implies complete opposition to a new Thames airport!!
Unfortunately, all advocates for the Thames airport consistently fail to explain (1) who will pay for it, and (2) why the airlines would leave one of the world's largest hubs (Heathrow) for a deserted backwater.
Without addressing these two basic issues, this "pie in the sky" will remain just that: "pie in the sky".
Good point about Bournemouth, it reinforces the point about the importance of hub airports for transferring passengers and therefore the neccessity expanding Heathrow.