The Airports Commission has recommended the building of a third runway at Heathrow airport.
If it went ahead, the construction of the runway would lead to up to 800 homes being demolished, as well as more noisy overhead flights for local residents. David Cameron says he will make a decision as to whether to build at Heathrow within a year.
There has been opposition to the plans, not only from Heathrow residents but from some Conservative politicians, Boris Johnson chief amongst them. Left-wing Labour MP John McDonnell, whose constituency includes the airport, has been heavily involved in grassroots opposition to the plans. The leadership of Labour, in contrast, is backing the plans.
It is perhaps unsurprising the Airports Commission took the decision to recommend an expansion despite the harm it would do to locals. The Commission is chaired by Howard Davies. When Davies was director at LSE, he set his face against the living wage campaign of workers at the university, before eventually being forced to resign because of his relaxed approach to donations from Colonel Gaddafi. Rich capitalist puts profits before welfare of ordinary people – who could have guessed?