News: Do as I say not as I do

Flights > News > # 387 (15/04/2005)

• Government policy is to encourage people to take the train, and to leave their cars at home. James Plaskitt lives within reasonable walking or cycling distance of Leamington station, and has a flat in London which is reasonably close to Lambeth North or Elephant and Castle Underground stations. He also famously posed for pictures at Leamington station shortly after being elected, joining a train to London. It is perfectly easy for him to commute by train to London, especially considering that Chiltern railways are one of the most successful UK train companies, in terms of investment in rolling stock, and on-time performance. He will also only have to change once in Marleybone to join the Bakerloo line to take him directly to his closest underground station. However, in a response to Flightmapping last week, he has claimed that he spends less than £200 annually on rail tickets, which would equate to no more than four peak time return trip to London. One can only assume that all his other journeys are made by road, or that he simply does not attend Parliament very often.
  
  
• James Plaskitt has vehemently opposed Coventry airport’s legitimate and long held right to operate passenger flights. Whilst he is trying to tell everyone else that they should not fly, he refuses to say how many flights he himself takes on personal business.
  
  
• James Plaskitt has made a big deal about fighting off the Rugby Airport proposals, even telling the House of Commons that it is only possible to perform "one miracle at a time" (Hansard). Yet, it was, of course, his own colleague Alistair Darling, who gave James Plaskitt and Andy King the opportunity to run their scare campaign against Rugby airport in the first place.
  
  
• James Plaskitt has supported the campaigns against the so-called "demolition development" in North Leamington, despite his own government policy clearly supporting this type of urban infill (Town Planning Act - 26 May 2004, supported by all Labour MPs). Meanwhile, he himself has moved to a house in Fryer Avenue, North Leamington, which is typical of the suburban three car garage properties which his colleague Mr Prescott is trying to oppose.
  
  
• James Plaskitt has claimed that he himself is a regular cyclist, and that he supports development of local cycleway networks. However, virtually no progress has been made on the long-running campaign to install a cycleway between Leamington and Kenilworth, and I'm not aware of any sightings of James Plaskitt on a bike.

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