I understand some people, and almost all councillors and MP's, support Manston.
I do not based on all the information I’ve seen.
As MP I will close the airport.
And, whether you support an airport or not – the simple fact is Manston cannot be expanded due to the pollution impacts.
Infratil have operated the airport in the most cavalier and deliberately underhand manner.
TDC and KCC have wilfully assisted them and misled the public.
Airports are the largest and most complex and dangerous piece of infrastructure outside of a nuclear power station. And they cause cancer.
The public of Thanet face real danger from the TDC and Infratil abuses at ManstonGate.
My 2nd task with Chief Executive Bunnett is to immediately suspend all flights to and from Manston, withdraw CAA status and request Kent Police are stationed at the aircraft, terminal and gates.
Matt Clarke the 27 year old Kent airport Chief Executive should have his passport witheld while he provides Police statements on the 106 breaches and pollution.
I will not seek criminal charges for the Gang of Four at this stage.
Airport staff will be retained on full wages, and Infratil’s assets seized as necessary to fund wages, retrospective fines and pollution clean-up costs.
Infratil and Manston are a complete scandal removing noise and air monitors, refusing to provide mobile monitors and fudging the figures as well as deliberately breaching all the 106 safeguards.
I will request Kent Police and Special Branch issue a warrant for the arrest and extradition of Steve Fitzgerald the Infratil Europe CEO and request that Infratil Prestwick and Lubeck are subject to Police investigation based on the ManstonGate scandals.
A formal complaint to SEEDA, SEERA, CAA, EA and GOSE for failed Planning will be submitted in Parliament.
I will commission a formal report detailing “The ManstonGate Failures” for the Parliamentary Transport Committee to help inform the airport and climate change debate, the abuses of Infratil and aviation methodologies and local government. And request proper NHS guidelines for UK airports and the “Cancer Circle” of birth defects, genetic disorders, asthma and cancers.
Manston is a failed RAF base. A failed passenger airport and a failed cargo airport – 20 miles from Ostend Cargo Airport and built on the towns’ drinking water supply.
ManstonGate is Kent plumbing the depths of incompetence and scandal and is now kept open as a political white elephant to prevent yet another failed Council policy in Thanet being confirmed.
Our councillors and MP's have failed the public.
I will close Manston - and create more and better jobs.
Outline redevelopment opportunities are: return to farmland providing jobs in brownfield site clean-up, improving the death-trap perimeter road, a 2012 Olympic swimming pool and water park using the natural aquifers, and a mini-Kings Hill for more jobs. I will also ask for a feasibility report on providing a free Summer Coach for passenger flights from Gatwick for 2 years.
I cannot stress enough the abuses and dangers posed by Infratil and Manston to date.
I will close the airport.
Time for Change.
Tomorrow: Policy #3: Clean-up Thanet and ChinaGate.
2 comments:
You as MP would have absolutely no power at all to shut Manston down. Your policy is ludicrous. Where will the money and the developers come from to redevelop the site after you have shut Manston airport down? Also how will there be more and better jobs if it is turned back to farmland and a swimming pool...
What crimes has Matt Clarke done that would require him to conduct a police interview for a 106 breach? There are ways in which to deal with 106 agreements. Calling in the Police is not one of them. Under what authority would you seize the assets of Infratil and why would you retain staff who you would simultaneously make redundant by shutting the airport down for redevelopment? As for Steve Fitzgerald, which law has he broken that would require his extradition?
Your policy regarding Manston is absurd.
Thanks James: I don't agree with your points at all.
I appreciate you're a Party activist and it's sort of a job to denigrate other views.
And even to nit-pick if you must - but to ignore major issues such as water pollution?
That way just creates the Failed Council we have to date. And wastes time in responding.
All the posted comments are largely mere politicking.
This why the public automatically distrust politicians.
On the specific issue of an MP's rights, role and procedure you are simply incorrect.
An MP as the elected representative to Parliament has huge power both specific and influence on an area. Not always rightly so, but generally it does.
For example, Steve has a column in the paper as the MP and rightly so.
A free and fair election by the public confers such extra rights and responsibilities.
And Parliament can reorder it's duties and process.
Damian Green from your party being arrested gains cross-party support for him to be released, simply for doing what an MP does. Boris sacked the London Police Chief. While Aitken and Archer and other pary's MP's (I can't think of any off the top of my head) are jailed for simple criminal acts.
Again from a politicking aspect you're in danger of confusing process and pettifogging with meaningful policies and change.
And even a bit of common sense.
Because no rulebook - Parliamentary or otherwise - covers every eventuality. It's not meant to. It's a guide for improving an area, a country and a society.
In TDC we have far more namecalling and "subclause 3" petty rulings and quoting rather than stopping Margate burning down and Ramsgate falling down.
100,000 people don't give a damn about most politics but buildings in flames and falling down are ultimately an MP's responsibility at some point.
As an activist you could have called or emailed one of your collegaues to help sort out the main matters of pollution etc.
In replying to you I'm wasting time better spent on a further chase of the Environment Agency or checking the effect of mercury poisoning on internal organs or failing to understand how any British council could possibly consider that faked consultations and 106 breaches at an airport are in any way acceptable.
I fully intend to act on these issues and other campaign promises.
A council is a social enterprise and commercial business. Above all it's the will of the people made real and for the greater good.
I won't attend the Planning meeting: councillors are paid to do that for me as a citizen. And if they do not then like other citizens I will vote them out or call for their dismissal if it's an extremely bad council.
TDC is a Failed Council. Most councils are not like this.
Will you chase up the mercury and aviation fuel pollution? Like 100,000 people you drink and breathe the stuff?
I'll copy this to your other posts and tailor some of the different points you make:
* MP would call on Parliament and TDC to close it: see power, rulebook and influence points above
* development: normal Plannning process as say Kings Hill redevelopment of airbase
* Jobs: part of the mix of companies, farms etc - as with all jobs
* Infratil Board removed noise monitors, noise and wate rpollution deliberately and repeatedly. Like a nuclear power plant company leaving the safety procedures deliberately undone.
* 106: yes, calling in the Police is one of them for major and repeated breaches - as at an international airport
* seize Infratil assets etc: Parliamentary authority (and as a citizen)
* Staff on full wages form Infratil Community Fund/seizures and reskill for new/simialr jobs
* Steve Fitzgerald: see points on Board above: there is (as with a council) a duty of care, not endangering the public and corporate manslaughter etc
From my experienc eof High Court quite franklty Judges can make any old nonesense up.
I'll detail later some points on Judicial reform.
We're a democracy - and I am running for a public position so by all means comment and criticise on the blog, but it's fairly pointless as Party Machine stuff unless it exposes serious flaws on an issue or has terrific suggestions for improvement.
Many thanks.
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