Labour’s West of England metro mayoral candidate Dan Norris has criticised his own party’s stance on Bristol Airport’s expansion.

He said the support Labour had shown until very recently for the plans for more flights and capacity, which were rejected by North Somerset Council planning committee last year, needed to change.

Mr Norris was speaking at a West of England Combined Authority (Weca) mayoral hustings held by Bristol 24/7 and Watershed on Thursday night (April 22nd) where all four candidates were asked to explain why they were either for or against the airport expansion.

The Greens’ Jerome Thomas said his opposition to the proposals to increase passenger numbers by two million a year was “unambiguous”.

He was the councillor who tabled a motion to Bristol City Council in December which passed with the support of the majority of members – including Labour and the Lib Dems, with just the Tories voting against – which said the plans were “incompatible” with carbon reduction targets.

They agreed it “must not go ahead” in a U-turn for the local authority, whose Labour leaders, including mayor Marvin Rees, previously expressed support.

The airport has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate against North Somersets Council’s decision and a public inquiry is set for July.

Weca mayoral Lib Dem candidate Stephen Williams told the hustings he not only opposed the expansion but had been the only local MP to object to previous plans about 15 years ago to grow Bristol Airport.

Conservative Samuel Williams, meanwhile, said he was not opposed to the proposals in principle but that he would like to introduce a profit share scheme if a bigger airport went ahead where money would be invested in research and innovation towards greener aviation.

Mr Norris said: “All the candidates this evening have followed their party lines. Tonight I am not doing that.

“I am opposed to the expansion of Bristol Airport.

“My party does not always have that view. It is changing.

“I am really pleased the Green candidate proposed the motion passed by the Labour council not to expand the airport.

“I am accepting that is not necessarily where my party is at the moment but it is moving.

“I hope to be part of leading that movement in terms of working towards environmental goals.

“We have to be prepared to fall out with each other sometimes.

“I am expecting my party to have to make change.

“The unions want jobs and I agree with that but when it comes to airport expansion we have to look to create jobs in green industries rather than airports because the moral leadership that is needed is so important when it comes to climate change.”

Stephen Williams said: “I opposed the current planning application determined by North Somerset Council which is consistent with my previous approach as an MP in 2006/07 when I opposed the first application for expanding the airport.

“The airport and chamber of commerce were extremely angry with me as I was the only MP in the area who did not support it.

“I opposed the third runway at Heathrow,” the Lib Dem said.

“I suspect the pandemic has severely dented the case for airport expansion in the immediate future but we cannot allow exponential expansion of air travel.

“We have to be strict and stringent, and as metro mayor I would formally object if the airport takes the application to appeal.”

Samuel Williams said the airport did not necessarily need to expand but he was not against the idea.

“Investment drives innovation and our region is full of aerospace innovators,” the Conservative candidate said.

“We are already leading globally in the future and decarbonisation of flight.

“The UN’s view is that economic growth and sustainable growth can work hand in hand.

“I would like to see any future profits derived from any future growth within Bristol Airport delivered in a profit share with our research and development innovation capacity across the region so we become the first fully sustainable carbon neutral airport.”

Mr Thomas said: “The other parties are letting us down on airport expansion.

“I am unambiguously opposed to the airport’s expansion.”

He said that before his motion to a full council meeting of the city council in December, “Labour in Bristol was doing its best to make sure the expansion went ahead”.

“Marvin Rees wrote a blog singing its praises,” the Green candidate said.

“He joined the Tory metro mayor and South Gloucestershire Council’s leader in leaving Weca’s position on expansion just as it was, which was to support it, and even the Lib Dems from Bath & North East Somerset have said nothing about what happened at that meeting.

“We need Greens to unambiguously say airport expansion is incompatible with the low carbon future we need.”

Mr Rees wrote in his Bristol mayor’s blog in November 2018: “The airport already brings huge benefits for Bristol and the wider West of England region and I am really supportive of their application for expansion.”

Weca comprises Bristol city, South Gloucestershire and B&NES councils but not North Somerset Council.

Adam Postans, LDRS