So much for the pro-growth party: Lib Dems reject U-turn on airport expansion

Nick Clegg may feel he’s got his party in a reasonably good place and a reasonably good mood. But he has just been defeated by the Lib Dem conference on his attempt to change party policy to allow airport expansion in the South East. 

As part of the policy paper on the economy, delegates were asked to support an amendment from Stephen Gilbert and Lorely Burt that deleted Gatwick and Stansted from the party’s opposition to airport expansion and left Heathrow in. This would have meant the party could support the Davies Commission if it recommended Gatwick as the site for airport expansion. But the amendment was defeated. 

This will make life difficult for a party that wants to be pro-growth. And it shows the danger (or if you are a grassroots member, the benefit) of the party’s democracy. The party does intend to have another go at its spring conference – and some who voted against feel that the party failed to make the case to those in the regions. Clegg will certainly have to be more creative if he wants to try another policy U-turn on aviation.