- Sir Martin Sorrell and over 170 of Britain’s leading businesses urge Government to seize economic opportunity of expanded Heathrow
- Government backing for Heathrow expansion – a £16bn privately funded ready-to-go infrastructure project – will secure Britain’s place as an outward looking trading nation and send a clear message that Britain is open for business
- Letter comes as fresh polling reveals overwhelming Parliamentary support for Heathrow expansion
Over 170 of Britain’s business leaders have urged the Government to inject growth into the British economy by progressing Heathrow’s expansion plans.
Writing to the Transport Secretary on the first anniversary of the Airports Commission’s clear recommendation for an expanded Heathrow, the signatories highlighted the opportunity the Government has to unleash a new Victorian Age of infrastructure.
In a time of economic uncertainty, Britain needs ready-to-go infrastructure projects that will enhance growth and reassure investor confidence. Heathrow expansion will help restore that confidence and inject £16bn of private sector money into a massive infrastructure project, creating jobs, securing growth across the UK and sending a clear message to the world that Britain is open for business.
The letter comes on the back of the latest polling by ComRes which shows Heathrow expansion has the overwhelming support of Parliament, with two thirds of MPs backing the project.
The letter was signed by Sir Martin Sorrell and signatories ranging from FTSE chiefs and Britain’s key business and trade associations, to leading global brands and SMEs spanning the whole of the UK.
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The full letter and list of signatories is copied below:
Open Letter to the Secretary of State
Dear Secretary of State,
A year ago, the independent Airports Commission that you established made a unanimous recommendation in favour of a third runway at Heathrow. Their recommendation followed an exhaustive investigation of all the different options.
In these uncertain economic times, what is certain is that we must remain an outward looking trading nation. Heathrow expansion is crucial to delivering this – with up to 16 domestic routes and up to 40 new long haul connections, expansion will re-establish Heathrow’s place as the best connected airport in the world and a front door that every region and nation in Britain can be proud of. Heathrow expansion will strengthen our economy with up to £211bn in economic growth for our country. It will create opportunities for people in every corner of the UK with up to 180,000 new jobs and 10,000 apprenticeships.
But this decision matters beyond our airports. You have identified the need for a new Victorian Age of infrastructure but we need confidence that your Government will take the tough decisions to deliver this. If you give the green light to expand Heathrow then businesses and investors will know you are serious and that the National Infrastructure Commission is worthy of its name.
Setting up the Airports Commission was the right way forward; expanding Heathrow is the right choice for Britain.
Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP PLC, CEO
Mike Cherry, FSB, National Chairman
John Barton, EasyJet, Chairman
Jean-Francois Decaux, J CDecaux Group, Founder & Honorary Chairman
George Kessler, Kesslers, Joint Deputy Chairman
Vincent Clancy, Turner & Townsend, CEO
Gavin Hayes, Let Britain Fly, Director
Gary Wintersgill, Severfield Plc, Managing Director
George Beveridge, Amec Foster Wheeler, Deputy MD
Frederic de Narp, Bally Group, CEO
Barry McNicholas, CEO, McNicholas
Andrew Cornish, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, CEO
Amanda McMillan, AGS Airports Limited (Glasgow Airport), CEO
Keith Howells, Mott MacDonald Group Ltd, Chairman and Chief Executive
Jim Fairbairn, Howden Group Ltd, Executive Director
Tony Baker, The Fat Duck, Managing Director
Steve King, Black Swan, Founder & CEO
Jason Gaskell, Swissport Cargo Services, Chief Operating Officer UK & IRL Cargo
Simon Fraser, Foreign and Colonial Investment Trust, Merchants Trust and the Investor Forum, Chairman
Frederik Hsu DL, NMS International Group, Deputy Chairman
Mark Boleat, City of London Corporation, Chairman of Policy
Jonathan Heilbron, Thomas Pink, President and CEO
David Sleath, Segro, CEO
Mark Reynolds, Mace Group, CEO
Bernardo Gogna , AECOM, Senior Vice President - Director Global Aviation
Rahul Kale, Typhoo Tea, Director - International Business
Rami Ranger CBE, Sun Mark Ltd, Chairman
Mark Dobson, Wilson James Limited, CEO
Jeffries Briginshaw, British American Business, CEO
Professor Julia Buckingham, Brunel University London, Vice-Chancellor and President
Robert W. Anderson, Tomatin Distillery, CEO
Shaun Lynn, Agilitas IT Solutions, CEO
Jo Rzymowska, Celebrity Cruises, Managing Director UK & Ireland
Lindsay Page, Ted Baker London, Chief Operating Officer
Tom Marano, ABM Aviation, President and EVP
Ernie Patterson, OmniServ Ltd, Chairman
Pamela Harper, Halcyon Days, Chairman and CEO
Ian Dewar, Ergonomic Solutions, Group Managing Director
Gary Shoemake , Travelex, Head of UK Business Development & Key Account Management
Robert Keen, British International Freight Association, Director General
Christopher Baker Brian, BBOXX, Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer
Alasdair Reisner, Civil Engineering Contractors Association, Chief Executive
Michael Plaut, Northmace & Hendon, Chairman
Nick Porter, Vanderlande Industries UK Ltd, Director
Rudi Guraziu, International Business and Diplomatic Exchange, Executive Chairman
Tom Cartledge, Benoy, Global Director - Operations and Commercial
Jeremy Francis, Sika Ltd, Major Project Manager
Jonathon Jones, Tregothnan , MD Trading
Alex Willson, Samsonite Ltd, Retail Director - UK and Ireland
Nick Fletcher, Morgan Sindall, Managing Director Infrastructure
Tara Naidu, Air India, Regional Manager - UK & Europe
Stephen Wright, Thorite, Managing Director
Susan Crookes, Balfour Beatty Construction Services, UK AMA Co-ordinator
Paul Andrew Wait, GTMC, CEO
Sir Nigel Rudd, Meggitt, Chairman
Mark Lebus, LC Energy Ltd, Managing Director
Sam Sohal, Direct Corporate Clothing PLC, Joint Managing Director
Paul Donaldson, The Nuance Group UK Ltd, General Manager (UK)
Phil Wright, WP Group, Sustainability Advisor - Airport Energy
Andrew Martin, AJAR-tec, Director
John Rhodes, Quod, Director
Rashik Parmar MBE, IBM, Lead IBM Cloud Advisor – Europe
James Edmunds, Buckinghamshire New University, Head of Academic Department – Travel & Aviation
Michael Webber, Manchester Square People, Partner
Petteri Uljas, Capgemini, Global Account Executive, Corporate Vice President
Joan Buszewska, Vanderlande Industries UK Ltd, Programme Director
Ian Higgins, Kuehne + Nagel Ltd, Senior Import Clerk
Ajay Gupta, Cognizant, Client Account Director
Jonathan Longden , Leys Longden and Co, Director
Gary Corrigan, CET Infrastructure, Commercial Director
Dom Jenkins, dot Software Ltd, Founder
Kim Challis, APCOA Parking, Regional Managing Director - UK and Ireland
Freda Newton, Jacobite Cruises Ltd, Managing Director
John Yeatman, Archer Technicoat Ltd, Managing Director
Stephen Gibson, Wilsham Consulting Ltd, Director
Karina Townley, Guidant Group, Head of Operations – Private Sector
Killian Whelan, Sim Local Ltd, Director
David Elliott, Excess Baggage Group Ltd, Chairman and CEO
Jamela Khan, ebsi (UK) Ltd, Managing Director
Heather Mandizvidza, Aviation Business Continuity, General Manager
Simon Priestley, Mitie, Director of Energy
Jolyon Brewis, Grimshaw Architects Ltd, Partner
Martin Sykes, Salviol Global Analytics Ltd, Director
Jim McBride, Lesk Engineers, Chairman
Richard Cameron, Erbschaft-Null International [E.N.I.], Director
Ray Newton, Edwardian Hotels London, Adviser to the Chairman
David Coyne, Benoy, Executive Director
David Al-Hadithi, Springboard Design, Director
Grant Thompson, Aviation Business Continuity Ltd, Managing Director
Nick Walker, Amalga Limited, Managing Director
Keith Perry, No-Nonsense Design Ltd, Managing & Creative Director
Zahoor (Stan) Ahmed, Lion and Gazelle Ltd, Director
David Elliott, Excess Baggage Group Ltd, Chairman and CEO
Michele Wietscher, Newview Homes Ltd, Director
Steve Pearse, Friends of Liverpool Airport (FoLA), Chairman
Sofia Dimen, Maincourse Associates, Hospitality & Retail Consultant
Cristiano Ceccato, ZAHA HADID Architects, Associate Director
Heather Lishman, ABPCO, Association Director
Geoff French, Enterprise M3 LEP, Chair
Philliper Selle, UKPN, UKPN Technician
Christian Mallon, RSM UK Tax and Accounting Limited, Associate Director
Ben Hammill, AFI Group, Business Development Manager
Michael Morton, CHS Engineering Services, Director of Business Development
Isobel Brown, The Start Up Loans Company, Head of Commercial Scotland
Alan Swinho, SITA, Account Director
Tim Bleasdale, E.ON UK, Direct Field Sales Manager
Francis Gros, Luxottica, Head of Global Channels
Peter Gilks, BEUMER Group UK, Managing Director Airport Division
Richard Matthews, Arup, Director
Colin Newall, Gebler Tooth, Senior Project Designer
Ian McFarlane, XERVON Palmers Ltd, Director Business & Project Development
Doug Hart, Hart Door Systems, Managing Director
Matthew Boon, Boon Building Services, Managing Director
Dean Cranham, Maber Construction and Interiors Ltd, Director
Colin Cooper, Honeywell Building Solutions, Airport Project Manager
Papu Ram, Freemantle, Operations Director
Marc Booth, Mcginley Support Services Ltd, Regional Operations Director (Central)
Jim ONeill, Kelo Pipeline Engineering Ltd, Managing Director
Kevin Harman, AECOM, Business Line Director - Aviation
Sean Pannell, Renteq Highways Ltd, Managing Director
David Nash, ISS Facility Services UK, Sector Director - Aviation
Andrew Dakers, West London Business, Chief Executive
Simon Castle, Chisholm & Winch (Contracts) Ltd, Managing Director
Richard Freemantle, Freemantle Electrical, Managing Director
Andrew Shuttle, Integra Contracts Ltd, Contracts Manager
Charlie Allen, Shiner UK Ltd, Managing Director
Dom Jenkins, dot Software Ltd, Founder and Director
Mark Castle, Castle & Pryor, Director
David Glossop, LW Architectural Glass, Managing Director
Spencer Malone, XERVON Palmers Ltd, Operations Manager
Stephen Griggs, SPIE Ltd, Operations Manager
Ian Robinson, Evoke Solutions UK Ltd, Director
Andy Knowles, Anderson Acoustics Ltd, Managing Director
Graham Pryor, Castle & Pryor Ltd, Director
Amanda Gee, BCA (Berkshire College of Agriculture), Commercial Director
Ian Dormer, Rosh Engineering Ltd, Managing Director
Bob Jones, Slough Business Community Partnership, Partnership Manager
Mark Ferris, Meads Construction Ltd, Project Manager
Paul Smith, Contour Construction Ltd, Business Development Manager
Pally Randhawa, One Care IT Ltd, Director
Craig Goodfellow, C G Classics, Director
Patrick Riordan, Danny Sullivan Group Ltd, Operations Director
Sue Thomas, AECOM, Technical Director - Commercial
Ann Tizard, Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics Limited, Senior Commercial Manager
Beryk Greenberg, LEClight, Sales Manager
Les Purdy, Lee Warren Fabrication and Design Ltd, Business Development Director
Lorraine Collins, Uxbridge College, Executive Director Enterprise and Development
Richard Hardie, Oxford Kitchens & Bathrooms, Director
Gary Kendall, Courier Facilities Ltd, Commercial Director
Andy Dicks, Hare Hatch Sheeplands, Managing Director
Charles Brindley, Active Thinking, Customer Experience Designe
Ron Williams, Thatcham & Newbury Maintenance Services, Proprietor Owner
Barrie Smith, Barrie P Smith Ltd, Proprietor Owner
Graeme White Fit Out, ISG, Divisional Director
Kathleen Stubbings, Stubbings Accountancy & Bookkeeping Services Ltd, CEO
Jean Gadsby, Gadsbys Accountants, Proprietor
Margot Tomkinson-Smith, Thames Valley Berkshire LEP Ltd, Communications Manager
Iain McCutcheon, Collingwood, Executive Search Consultant
Stewart Nicol, Inverness Chamber of Commerce , Chief Executive
Jenny Stewart, Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of Commerce, Chief Executive
Jo James, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, Chief Executive
Kim Conchie, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, CEO
Paul Britton, Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, Chief Executive
Stuart Patrick, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, Chief Executive
Mark Goldstone, West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Head of Business Representation & Policy
Ross Smith, North East England Chamber of Commerce, Director of Policy
Olu Odeniyi, Maidenhead and District Chamber of Commerce, President
Derek Armstrong, Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Business Development Manager
Subhash V Thakrar, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vice President and Past Chairman
Brian L Dunsby, Harrogate Chamber of Commerce, Transport & Traffic Spokesman
Stephen Fry, Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, CEO
Peter Cox, Bicester Chamber of Commerce, Chairman
Mike Langan, Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce, Chairman
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