Plane And Simple?

I don't like the way in which air travel is subsidised and favoured to the detriment of rail travel. And I cannot see why anyone flies from, say, London to Manchester; what with today's "security" arrangements (of which, another time), it cannot be to shorten the journey.

But Clive Soley was on good Old Labour form on Newsnight last night, defending jobs and the British national interest (inseparable as those are, of course) against some Estuary-accented pretty boy with no tie on. I am very strongly opposed to the use of "climate change" as an excuse to re-restrict travel to the rich.

And I have a strong suspicion that the opponents of the third runway at Heathrow are just those who shout the loudest, perhaps because, being the likes of Emma Thompson, they can. Planes must already fly round and round, making as much noise as you like, waiting for a space on which to land.

But I may be wrong on those last two points.

So, what do people think?