Transport Secretary lashes out at actress comments

Monday, 19th January 2009

Hoon lashed out at remarks made by celebrities overall, but especially targeted those made by the well-known, Oscar-winning actress, noting that although she stands in opposition to increased capacity at Heathrow, she makes frequent use of the busy airport, jetting around the globe.

The Cabinet minister announced late last week that he was backing the plan proposed by airport owner BAA for the construction of a third Heathrow runway, in the face of environmentalist opposition.

Thompson was joined by other celebrities in joining Greenpeace in the purchase of an acre of land at the site of the proposed new runway, in a bid to block its construction.

Hoon remarked on Friday: "She has been in some very good films. Love Actually is very good, but I worry about people who, I assume, travel by air quite a lot and don't see the logic of their position, not least because the reason we have got this problem in relation to Heathrow is that more and more people want to travel more and more."

He added: “BAA does not wake up in the morning and think: 'We need a bigger airport,' and airlines do not say: 'We need to put on more flights,' unless there is a demand for it.”

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