CLIMATE change minister and Lewisham Deptford MP Joan Ruddock has been blasted for her decision to support plans for Heathrow’s third runway.

The Tory-led motion urging ministers to rethink plans was beaten by a majority of 19 votes, in a House of Commons debate on Wednesday (January 28).

Lewisham Green councillor Darren Johnson has blasted Ms Ruddock for not fulfilling her role as the Government’s climate change minister.

He said: “She risks turning her job title into a joke. How on earth can she be backing a third runway with all the concern over its environmental impact?

“She’s massively out of step with the views of her constituents. There’s strong opposition from local councillors and local people.

“She’s got to ask herself whether she can properly fulfil her role to help the environment when the Government is pressing ahead with plans for a third runway.”

Ms Ruddock has defended her decision on her website.

She said: “This has been a very difficult decision.

“As a minister for climate change and energy, and a keen environmentalist, I have been particularly concerned as to how our targets on greenhouse gas reductions and on air quality could be met if the plans put forward for the third runway were accepted.

“A compromise position has been adopted whereby limits have been set that will be reported upon by the Independent Environment Agency and the Committee on Climate Change.

“If the limits can not be met then the increases in fights will not be allowed to go ahead.

“We are the first country in the world to put a legal duty upon ourselves to achieve 80 percent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“If we allow increases in emissions from aviation then inevitably we will have to make greater reductions in other parts of the economy.

“I have never been in favour of unrestrained aviation and our government has successfully argued for aviation emissions to be included in the EU emissions trading scheme in three years time.”