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Labour party hijack Climate Camp

John Pearson | 26.07.2007 07:57 | Climate Camp 2007 | Climate Chaos

The local Hayes and Harlington Labour party is attempting to hijack the Heathrow Climate Change camp and use it to try and portray local MP John McDonnell as having organised it.

I live near Heathrow and have been involved in the fight to stop the third runway for some time, the vast majority of local residents are opposed to it and the local MP John McDonnell has jumped on the bandwagon despite the offical Labour party view being that they are in support of the third runway. Now the local party has seen the threat of the Climate Camp and has decided to pretend they are the organisers. They are telling anybody who will listen that this is their idea to show local residents how the local party is fighting for local residents.

I quick call to party headquarters received the following information.

\\\"John McDonnell, together with local people has set up this camp to try and stop the expansion of Heathrow\\\"

\\\"Labour party stewards will be on site to ensure no breach of the peace\\\"

\\\"This will be a well regulated with the police involved to ensure smooth running and no law breaking\\\"

Finaly this week there was an interview with McDonnell in the local paper where after a predictble rant about \\\"working together\\\" and \\\"respecting the needs of holiday makers together with business travellers\\\" he extended his invitation to the camp by saying,

Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, John McDonnell, said: \\\"We really hope that as many local people as possible will accept our invitation to visit the camp.\\\"

Other information:
McDonnell is supported by the RMT union, a union which supports increased transport use at Heathrow

I have sent an email to the Climate Camp website informing them of the intention of the Labour Party to send stewards and sent an email of complaint to McDonnell stating that we don\\\'t want his support, don\\\'t want his stewards at the camp, don\\\'t want police there and don\\\'t appreciate his attempts to take it over.

John Pearson
- e-mail: John.Pearson@GMail.com