John McDonnell, the MP for Hayes and Harlington including Heathrow, has described Boris Johnson’s plan to close Heathrow Airport as “madcap threat to over 200,000 local jobs.”

Reacting to the plans by Conservative politicians, Boris Johnson and the Conservative leader of Hillingdon Council, to close Heathrow airport, John said ” I think that Boris Johnson and Cllr Puddifoot have taken leave of their senses. This madcap scheme threatens 200,000 local jobs. Whilst we don’t want another runway we certainly don’t want to put at risk the livelihoods of so many local families. We want a better not bigger Heathrow. For the leader of the local council to put at risk so many local jobs is a dereliction of his duty to represent our local community and demonstrates just how out of touch he is with reality. If he gets his way our local economy will collapse and I doubt if there is a local family that won’t be hit hard by his policy. I can’t understand what his motive is. Some have suggested that he is looking to be appointed by Boris Johnson to a London-wide post. Surely he wouldn’t sacrifice the jobs of so many local people to satisfy his own ambition?”