First published 28/06/18

Back Heathrow Executive Director Parmjit Dhanda says a pending threatened judicial review against Parliament’s decision to allow the Heathrow expansion is a waste of hardworking taxpayers’ money.

Following the landslide victory in Parliament on Monday, four councils and the Mayor of London have threatened legal action in a bid to put a stop to the project.

With 100,000 registered supporters in West London and the Thames Valley, campaign group Back Heathrow has been backing the local community’s call for a new runway and the thousands of jobs and economic benefits it will bring.

Mr Dhanda says: “This week MPs across Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of Heathrow expansion with a majority of 296.

“Now is the time to work together and put our differences aside to get the best possible deal for our country and for local communities. It would be a shame to see this opportunity squandered and money wasted by going against the clear will of Parliament.

“The evidence of numerous polls consistently shows that in a majority of constituencies surrounding Heathrow Airport, more residents support expansion than oppose it.

Residents are set to benefit with 77,000 new local jobs, and 5000 new apprenticeships.

Mr Dhanda added: “Every penny spent challenging this legitimate decision by parliament is a penny less spent on vital local council services.”

First published 26/06/18

Head of community campaign group Back Heathrow Parmjit Dhanda, says the decision by MPs to go ahead with the third runway at Heathrow is democracy in action.

With 100,000 registered supporters, the campaign group has been backing the local community’s call for a new runway and the thousands of jobs and economic benefits it will bring.

Mr Dhanda says: “This is a great result for those of us who have been campaigning for so long and so hard. Now it’s time to work together and put our differences aside to get the best possible deal for our country and for local communities.

“We haven’t built a new runway in London or the South-East since the Second World War.

“This has been many years in the making and it is fantastic for all those involved to finally be able to get on with this crucial infrastructure project. But it is also an important time to take stock, consult and to make this the best scheme possible.”

First published 25/06/18

Back Heathrow and supporters of the Heathrow expansion today handed over 500 letters to Ruth Cadbury MP's office asking her to vote yes when Parliament debates the third runway decision this evening.

Back Heathrow is a community campaign with 100,000 registered supporters which has been rallying communities to back a third runway and the thousands of jobs and economic benefits it will bring.

Supporter Fritz Pandalitschka says: "I know Ruth Cadbury is staunchly opposed to a new runway. But I wanted to be here today as a representative of thousands of members of the silent majority of Brentford and Isleworth residents who support the project. I hope Ruth will respect us and the democratic views of Parliament after the vote."

Heathrow expansion will generate 77,000 local jobs and 5,000 new local apprenticeships. The project is backed by both the CBI and the TUC.

First published 21/06/18

Back Heathrow Executive Director Parmjit Dhanda says confirmation that Parliament will vote on the Heathrow expansion on Monday has been a long time coming.

Back Heathrow is a community campaign with 100,000 registered supporters which has been rallying communities to back a third runway and the thousands of jobs and economic benefits it will bring.

Mr Dhanda said: “We haven’t built a new runway in London or the South-East since the Second World War. By 2025, the Chinese will build 136 new airports.

“This has been 10 years in the making and it is fantastic for all those involved to finally get the certainty needed to get on with this crucial infrastructure project.

“A new runway at Heathrow represents an opportunity to create 180,000 unionised jobs across the country and an opportunity to boost the UK's economy at an uncertain time. It is high time we got on with it, let’s secure the benefits this project will bring.”

First published on 20/06/18

Thousands of supporters are writing to their local MPs urging them to vote in favour of Heathrow expansion and the jobs and economic benefits it will bring as Parliament prepares to vote.

An expanded Heathrow is a crucial infrastructure project that will create 180,000 jobs nationwide and 10,000 apprenticeships. It will also provide new domestic connections that will bring £187 billion worth of economic benefits.

As the vote nears, community campaign group Back Heathrow has been appealing to people across local communities to write and urge their MPs to vote in favour of expansion and they have responded in the thousands.

This week the group delivered thousands of letters it had received from local people in support of expansion to several MPs at Westminster including to Seema Malhotra, Virenda Sharma, Tan Dhesi, Steve Pound and Kwasi Kwarteng.

Parmjit Dhanda, Back Heathrow Executive Director, said: “With the vote for Heathrow expansion imminent, this is a critical moment in the battle to secure the benefits that a new runway will generate.

“More than 10,000 supporters have written in already and the mail bag of returns continues to pour in each day.

 “This is a sign of the strength and support for this project in West London and the Thames Valley. In constituencies like Slough, and Feltham and Heston, I am certain we will top 1000 responses urging MPs to back Heathrow.”

Back Heathrow supporters dressed as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn on parliament square

The government and opposition parties should put party political squabbling to one side to help deliver the world’s biggest privately funded infrastructure project, says Back Heathrow.

Back Heathrow is a community group rooted in west London with over 100,000 supporters of a new runway at Heathrow Airport.

At an event in Parliament Square today, Back Heathrow campaign activists dressed as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn congregated in front of giant poster of the House of Commons, replete with a runway bridging both sides of the political divide.

The event was attended by MPs from all sides of the House and by Back Heathrow’s Executive Director, Parmjit Dhanda.

Parmjit said: “This is a project that the Labour Party has backed under two Prime Ministers, now it has the support of a Conservative Prime Minister, the SNP, the DUP and over 100 Labour MPs.

“So it is crucial that MPs are not whipped to vote against this as part of a political game. That kind of behaviour has held back the creation of 180,000 jobs and billions in economic benefits for decades. Its time for all parties to come together, cut out the squabbling and do what’s right for our country.”

MPs from across the political divide supported the event, asked why they support Heathrow expansion:

Steve Double, MP for St Austell and Newquay

“It’s about what is right for our country in terms of growing our economy and international trade. Local businesses in the South West see the benefit of a direct link to Heathrow, both in being able to export as well as enabling us to bring tourists in with a direct link to and from Heathrow.”

Gavin Shuker MP for Luton South

“It’s in the national interest to get Heathrow working, and working properly. I represent an airport constituency and in the South East the demand is massive. It’s the same for the whole country, so Parliament needs to get on and back Heathrow.”

UNITE the Union Members, Peter Kavanagh and our Director Parmjit

Members of the pro-expansion group Back Heathrow have joined forces with the UNITE union in calling on the Government to end the delay and get on with building a new runway.

Back Heathrow, a community campaign with 100,000 registered supporters predominantly residing in the communities around Heathrow, and UNITE, Britain’s biggest Trade Union, launched a new advertising campaign highlighting the new high-quality, high-skilled jobs and apprenticeships that will come from Heathrow expansion.

A new Heathrow runway will create up to 77,000 new local jobs and 5,000 new apprenticeships, as well as other economic benefits such as increased investment, better infrastructure and new trade routes.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has this week announced that the Government will hold a parliamentary vote on Heathrow expansion within the next few weeks.  

Peter Kavanagh, UNITE Regional Secretary for London, and the East of England, said: “Politicians can’t keep kicking the can down the road over a decision on Heathrow expansion – it’s time to make a positive decision in favour of a new runway.

“Working people in west London across the capital and right across the country stand to benefit from Heathrow expansion. They have been waiting far too long for Theresa May and Chris Grayling to put this project to a vote in the House of Commons and secure the quality, skilled jobs and opportunities that we desperately need.

“I urge London’s MPs to back local jobs for working people, and back this in a vote in Parliament”.

Back Heathrow’s Executive Director Parmjit Dhanda said: “I’m delighted that UNITE is giving such strong backing to the campaign to expand Heathrow and calling for MPs to vote to approve this vital project.

“Unite has a proud history of fighting for quality jobs, something Back Heathrow is delighted to support.

I am confident by combining the strength of our 100,000 local supporters with the might of a union like Unite our campaign can succeed”

Tim Roache (GMB General Secretary) pictured here with Parmjit Dhanda (Executive Director of Back Heathrow) and GMB members at a reception at the National Conference in Brighton.

Members of the pro-expansion group Back Heathrow have joined forces with the GMB trade union in calling on the Government to end the delay and get on with building a new runway.

Back Heathrow, a community campaign with 100,000 registered supporters predominantly residing in the communities around Heathrow, joined the GMB as it held its annual Congress in Brighton.

Heathrow expansion will create tens of thousands of new high-quality, high-skilled jobs and apprenticeships, as well as other economic benefits such as increased investment, better infrastructure and new trade routes.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has last week announced that the Government will hold a parliamentary vote on Heathrow expansion within the next few weeks.  

Back Heathrow’s Executive Director Parmjit Dhanda said: "It was great to be at the GMB's National Conference working alongside Tim Roache, the General Secretary of one of the most important trade unions in the UK and jointly backing the new runway proposals. Back Heathrow and the GMB share the same goals of new jobs and apprenticeships to boost the living standards of working people in west London, the Thames Valley and indeed across the country. The vote on expansion is a chance in a lifetime to create 180,000 new jobs."

Mick Rix, GMB National Officer said: “The time for politicians dithering and delaying on Heathrow is over. This long-awaited vote is crunch time for our members across the country who stand to benefit from Heathrow expansion.

“We’ve been waiting long enough for this Government to pull itself together and to put this plan to MPs and secure the future of the airport and the jobs it can and will support.”