Ann Keen "Should Do Honourable Thing and Step Down"

Calls for local MP to resign as junior health minister over Heathrow

Local conservatives have joined the call for Ann Keen to resign her government position as a junior health minister.

This follows the announced that Andy Slaughter has resigned from his Government position as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Lord Malloch-Brown over his opposition to the expansion of Heathrow. Mr Slaughter, MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd’s Bush, has been a prominent opponent of the £9 billion third runway and sixth terminal runway.

Speaking after the borough council when the issue of the government decision to approve the third runway was debated, Cllr Peter Thompson, Leader of Hounslow Council said, "I was disgusted when Labour councillors called on us to thank Ann and Alan Keen for their successful lobbying on Heathrow! Apparently the government’s decision not to go ahead for the time being with mixed mode operations which gives local residents some respite for aircraft noise is all down to them.”

“The decision to ignore residents and press on with a Heathrow expansion and the construction of a third runway is quite simply a disaster for our local environment and our quality of life. Even the governments own Environment Agency has said that this could damage public health. Surely given that her views have been totally ignored and as a health minister she should do the honourable thing and step down!"

West London Friends of the Earth applauded Labour MPs who took at stand on Heathrow expansion at the Commons debate on 28th January. Aviation campaigner Nic Ferriday said: "We were naturally disappointed that the vote was lost, but the narrowness of the margin showed how little support the government has on Heathrow."

He continued: "The action of West London MPs who voted for expansion and those who stayed away to avoid the glare of publicity was contemptible. Ann Keen's performance was particularly irksome. Having come out publicly and strongly against Heathrow, she has now betrayed her constituents and the people of West London. As a health minister, her indifference to more air pollution, which already kills a thousand Londoners a year, is reprehensible."

January 29, 2009