With the release of a government commission short-list of possible further airport expansions, rumours of a Conservative defection to The Green Party have started circulating. Hynd’s Blog takes a look at the possibility of The Green Party attracting millionaire Conservative MP, Zac Goldsmith.
Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith has responded angrily to the prospect of Heathrow being expanded saying that Cameron will “never be forgiven” if he u-turns on Heathrow expansion.
A government-appointed independent commission, led by Sir Howard Davies has today issued a shortlist of three options for building new runways – 2 of which are based on expanding Heathrow.
Goldsmith stated on BBC’s Newsnight: “If the Government changes its position on Heathrow expansion I will trigger a by-election, and if it happens in the manifesto of the next election then I certainly wouldn’t stand as a Conservative.”
Goldsmith went on record criticising all three party leaders saying, “This is about enabling all three party leaders to defer any kind of decision making till after the election because none of them frankly have the courage to front up the voters before the next election, when it really matters”. The Green Party’s lead candidate in the South West for the European elections, Molly Cato-Scott, cheekily responded tweeting:
Although this might seem like a long-shot, Goldsmith does have a long established relationship with the party. His uncle Edward (Teddy) Goldsmith was a founding member of The Green Party and the founding Editor of the Ecologist Magazine – a role Zac would go on to take up himself.
It is equally well known that Goldsmith has a close working relationship with Green MP Caroline Lucas in parliament. This stretches beyond traditional ‘(G)green’ issues to issues such as drug policy reform.
And what does Goldsmith think of The Green Party? Well, just last week he tweeted saying:
In short, it’s not as impossible as some might think for this Conservative millionaire to join a radical left-wing party…but let’s be honest, neither is it very likely.
Hynd's Blog 