Business chiefs warn government ‘to get a grip’ on runway decision
The government came under renewed pressure from business today in response to the announcement last week that a decision to build a new runway in London and the South East will be delayed by a further six months.
Business leaders have written an open letter to the Prime Minister making clear that the announcement last week is ‘regrettable’ and warning that every period of delay is ‘damaging our economic competitiveness’.
The letter has been coordinated by airport expansion campaign group Let Britain Fly and signatories include many business leaders from FTSE 100 listed companies.
The letter reads:
“The government’s announcement last week to delay a decision on a new runway in London and the South East is regrettable.
“The Airports Commission has already spent three years and millions of taxpayers’ money examining the evidence. It was established so that a difficult decision, fundamental to our long-term prosperity, could be made without being bogged down by politics. Its clear recommendation was to build a new runway at Heathrow. We remain fully supportive of the Commission’s work and its recommendation and believe the government should listen to the experts it appointed and just get on with this vital upgrade to our national infrastructure.
“Every further period of delay is costing the UK economy billions in lost trade and investment and damaging our economic competitiveness. The message this sends out to global investors is equally disastrous.
“We urge the government to get a grip on the decision to build a new runway by committing to announce a clear and final decision by no later than the end of May 2016.”
Signatories include:
Michael Spencer, Group CEO, ICAP
Sir Martin Sorrell, Chief Executive, WPP
Sir George Iacobescu CBE, Chairman & Chief Executive, Canary Wharf Group
John Stewart, Chairman, Legal & General Group
Ronan Dunne, Chief Executive, O2
Philip Green, Chairman, Carillion
Stephen Catlin, Chairman, Catlin Group
Simon Fraser, Chairman, Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust
Martin Gilbert, Chief Executive, Aberdeen Asset Management
Mark Bensted OBE, Managing Director, Powerday
George Weston, Chief Executive Officer, Associated British Foods
Michael Harper, Chairman, Ricardo
Michael Ward, Managing Director, Harrods
David Sleath, Chief Executive, SEGRO
Mark Reynolds, Chief Executive, Mace
Mike Turner CBE, Chairman, GKN
Robert Anderson, CEO, The Tomatin Distillery Company
Chris Grigg, Chief Executive, British Land
John Allan CBE, Chairman, London First
Mike Cherry, National Policy Director, FSB
Iain Anderson, Executive Chairman, Cicero Group
Gordon Clark, Head of Commercial UK and Ireland, Global Blue
Tim Hancock, Managing Director, Terrence O’Rourke
George Kessler, Group Deputy Chairman, Kesslers International
Paul Wait, Chief Executive Officer, GTMC
Bill Moore CBE, Chief Executive, The Portman Estate
James Rook, Managing Director, Nimlok
Ian Reeves CBE, Senior Partner, Synaps Partners
Sue Brown, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting
Kevin Murphy, Chairman, ExCeL London
Toby Courtauld, Chief Executive, Great Portland Estates
Professor Paul Curran, Vice Chancellor, City University London
John Rhodes OBE, Director, Quod
Hugh Seaborn, Chief Executive, Cadogan
Vincent Clancy, Chief Executive Officer, Turner & Townsend
Bob Rothenberg, Senior Partner, Blick Rothenberg LLP
Surinder Arora, CEO, Arora International
Ian Durant, Chairman, Capital & Counties Properties
Mark Boleat, Chairman of Policy and Resources Committee, City of London Corporation
Inderneel Singh, General Manager, The May Fair Hotel
John Burns, Chief Executive, Derwent London
Richard Robinson, Chief Executive, Civil Infrastructure, EMEIA – AECOM
Harold Paisner, Senior Partner, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP
James Rook, Managing Director, Nimlok
Kay Buxton, Chief Executive, Paddington Now
Ric Lewis, Chief Executive, Tristan Capital Partners
Professor Michael Arthur, President and Provost, UCL
Ufi Ibrahim, Chief Executive, British Hospitality Association
Gavin Hayes, Director, Let Britain Fly
Baroness Jo Valentine, Chief Executive, London First
Jace Tyrrell, CEO, New West End Company
Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Rebecca Kane Burton, General Manager, The O2
For further comment / to arrange an interview call Gavin Hayes on 07535 976964
Notes to editors
– Let Britain Fly is an independent campaign coalition whose founding statement has support from more than 100 senior business leaders from Britain’s top companies, trade and professional associations, unions and educational institutions, along with business organisations including the British Chambers of Commerce, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, London First, Institute of Directors, Federation of Small Businesses and the British Hospitality Association. For more information visit www.letbritainfly.com.
-01.png){kind=spacer}