It’s hard to work out Ken Clarke’s view on the Heathrow expansion (if he has one) given his lack of public pronouncements on the issue. He didn’t return the FT’s calls today.
If the genial Tory is brought back to a key front bench job – as the current rumour mill suggests – the answer to that question suddenly becomes much more important. For now there are only rumblings of discontent among the Conservative ranks about the policy of opposing the third runway. A handful of front benchers are unhappy but they aren’t speaking out in public.
But if you really want to know about the mood in the ranks check out Martin Salter’s EDM (early day motion) against the project.
There are 50 Labour MPs, 41 Lib Dems and, er, just 30 Tories.
The Tories confirmed today that there would be a vote in the Commons over the Heathrow expansion if they form a government next year. If so it will be interesting to see how backbench Tories vote.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey