New Thames Airport for London

[Fairdealfrank]

　
　
Quote: “No.

In the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, governments were obsessed with not making any big strategic decisions that may effect their popularity at the next election. Thus successive governments have tinkered with transport policy, instead of grasping the bull (and the unions) by the horns.”

Silverstrata, my original comments about the second “force policy” were correct and accurate. It may have been the only aviation policy in fifty years, but a policy nonetheless. In the present era of privately owned airports and carriers and of degregulation and open-skies it cannot be reinstated, so forget about dual hubs and “Heathwick“.

It is also risible to suggest that strategic decisions concerning aviation affect general election results. It’s a highly technical issue and often fairly localised. Most voters aren’t necessarily across the fact that it can be of huge national importance, and probably don‘t care either way.

Quote: “Thats why we ended up with no high speed rail network.
That's why we ended up with no planned, clean-sheet airports.
Thats why we ended with no world-class London airport.
Thats why we ended up with our largest sea-port on a lonely stretch of coastline with no road or rail links. (and all the formerly big ports idle or closed).”

No, planning law has a large part to play in this, but it's not the only story. It also has much to do with governmental “neocon” obsessions of with the private sector and letting the market decide. Why do you think our airports are mostly privately owned (unusual), and the railways franchised out like ITV used to be? You only have to look at the USA, where “neocon” ideas originated, to see a crumbling infrastructure.

Quote: “The whole half century has been a complete shambles, because nobody in government had any vision, and nobody had any balls.”

Difficult to argue with this one!

Quote: “Thatcher's chickens??? !! You mean Labour's chickens.”

Same thing these days!

Quote: “It was Thatcher who put a halt to that, and put the country back on an even keel, where managers could once again manage. Her biggest failing was not doing more for the already ailing manufacturing sector, but by then the creed of world trade and open borders had taken root, and the result was further decimation of our industry.”

Hindsight tells us that these comments reveal a very selective memory. Who sold off airports and airlines? You can argue the merits or otherwise, but it can't be difficult to see that with this policy, the government loses direct control over the sector.

Quote: “Then we had Blair, and Blair did not give a stuff about the country. All he wanted was racial equality and multiculturalism, and the economy and industry could take a running jump as far as he was concerned. Indeed, the faster we came down to
the level of Ethiopia, the faster he would achieve his racial equality goals (everyone to the lowest common denominator).”

But most of all, Blair wanted wars. Could it be because he was the first prime minister not to have participated in a war? Maybe he was also the first not to have had to do compulsory military service(?).

Quote: “So think again about what you would want achieved with this new airport.

a) Who would pay for it?”

The eternal question that Silver won’t (can’t?) answer.

Quote: “b) How would you ensure that it did indeed focus on the kind of flights that helped the economy, and that it didn't just add extra general capacity by taking the pressure off LGW, STN etc?

I note that point (b) is actually very difficult to do, unless you were to develop a routes committee which decided which destinations should and shouldn't be served. Silly of course, but without that, you have little evidence that your sinking sands airport could generate any kind of ROI for the nation as a whole, let alone its shareholders, whether institutional, private or government.”

This one is easy to answer: it cannot be done, airports are private sector, and don't forget the EU's potential to interfere!