Hypocritical MP sets new double standards

11.15.15pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 29th Apr 2007

Cllr Andrew Dakers joins protesters against Ann Keen's support for growth in night flights outside Holiday Inn Brentford

Local MP Ann Keen set new double standards today. First the MP, who voted in Parliament against controls on CO2 emitting, noisy night flights, hosted a screening of Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' - a film explaining the need for urgent action on climate change. Second, in the lobby of Holiday Inn Brentford, the MP's representative - after going off to check - barred Leader of Hounslow Liberal Democrats Cllr Andrew Dakers from attending the film screening and following discussion. This despite his earlier invitation to the event from the MP. The excuse: they had run out of chairs. The rude behaviour came a matter of days after Labour group leader Cllr Sharma said a motion passed last week by Hounslow Council was "short-sighted and, frankly, small-minded". The motion requires Conservative-Community Group Executive members to sign off any future Council invitations to the borough's MPs until their policy of non-cooperation with the Council comes to an end.

Cllr Andrew Dakers, Leader of Hounslow Liberal Democrats, said:

"Ann Keen's behaviour today would seem extraordinary if it were not so consistent with her usual hypocritical actions. Her vote against controls on night flights in 2005 demonstrates that she ignores her constituents' views, and is instead swept along by the short term interests of an airline industry set on expansion. Heathrow aircraft emit about 38% of UK aviation emissions, which is equivalent to 14million tonnes per annum in 2005.

Over thirty people took part in the protest outside Holiday Inn

"This is why I joined protesters outside the Holiday Inn before the event to highlight the inconsistencies in her position.

"Although I have seen 'An Inconvenient Truth' several times I was looking forward to taking part in the discussion. I accepted her invitation to attend the screening and discussion 12 days ago (on 17th April). It is therefore extraordinarily rude that I was not notified in advance that the invitation no longer stood. It is also quite hypocritical - given Hounslow Labour party's concern at the borough MPs not having contact with their constituents - they should bar from the discussion a local politician who has campaigned on environmental issues for many years.

"I was particularly disappointed given that I tabled an amendment to the motion before last week's Council meeting establishing 'This Council believes that co-operative working between the authority and active, engaged Members of Parliament should be beneficial to the interests of our local community.'

"Furthermore when I organised a screening of 'An Inconvenient Truth' for Hounslow councillors last autumn at Watermans Arts Centre I did so on a cross-party basis."

Related Link:

Civil Aviation Bill - Clause 2 - Regulation by Secretary of State of Noise and Vibration from Aircraft - 10 Oct 2005