Boris
Fascinating political shenanigans...
Does the airport sit tight until (perhaps) 16th May 2016...when the "affable buffoon" [numerous sources] Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson will have stepped down having been summoned to parliament as the "honourable member" for Uxbridge & South Ruislip on 18th May 2015?
As I understand it he could step down from his mayoral role up to 6 months before the end of his mayoral term.
It seems odd to me that he has chosen to snub the airport development - particularly on grounds of noise...in 2009 the airport obtained permission for 120,000 flights per year - the development programme, and latest planning application, actually sought to cap this at 111,000 whilst also allowing newer, quieter aircraft to operate to/from the airport.
As mayor he champions the transport links the airport provides to international investors when it suits him, e.g. Silvertown Quays project, Royal Albert docks, etc.
Mind you, his integrity was brought into question by Channel 4 when they launched an investigation into the track record in China of the firm which won the Royal Albert Dock contract - ABP - and into whether ABP were given favourable treatment during the tender process.
There were also questions over donations to the Conservative Party from an Anglo-Chinese businesswoman who acted as adviser to ABP. "It has the smell of a semi-corrupt arrangement, doesn't it?" [Sir Alistair Graham]
And so I wonder how his next political office will go? More of the same I imagine - he's a politician after all. I wish him all the best in his new venture - hopefully there'll be less wiff(-waff) of him in the east end.