A Silver Lining For the UK from the Global Crisis?

This may sound a little weird but there may be a silver lining from the current global crisis. And this one is very obtuse but bear with me.

It is about the intersection of Gordon Brown's popularity and the need for expanded capacity at London's Airports.

So the UK process for airport infrastructure expansion is shall we say very complicated and extremely long winded. So it comes as a great surprise that the UK is rushing through 2 major projects. The second runway at Stansted and the contentious third runway at LHR.

Determined to thwart the attempts of the Tories who only weeks ago were this close to securing the downfall of the dour Scotsman who currently occupies Number 10 Downing Street, the current Labour Government has pushed through the processes to get the public inquiries out the way.

In the case of Stansted they are going to great lengths to rush this through. Even to the extent of holding hearings in different rooms to shorten the time by 50%. For LHR the public comment and inquiry process was not expected to start until 2010. Now we hear that they are going to shortly start the public process with Gordon promising to rubber stamp it within weeks of the conclusion. Much to the chagrin of many unions, the mayor of London (Tory Boris) and many many in his own party.

Never say there isn't a silver lining in everything.

Cheers