Taking democracy to the rooftops is our only choice

Katrina Forrester (London, Plane Stupid): On Wednesday five climate activists from the direct action group Plane Stupid took democracy to the rooftops of Parliament. The banners they erected highlighted the collusion between the British Airport Authority (BAA) and the Department for Transport. The 27^th February marked the end of the public consultation period within which opinions could be voiced about the construction of the Third Runway at Heathrow - a period which should have been a chance for the public to engage with the democratic process and to make clear their objections to the Heathrow expansion plans. The reality is a different story, and Plane Stupid wanted not only to expose the farcical nature of the Heathrow consultation, but also to draw attention to the failings of our so-called democracy.

The Heathrow consultation was not an opportunity for our representatives to consult those they are meant to represent. Far from it. Instead, the consultation highlighted what so many see as the dramatic failings of this government to reflect the demands of its people. It has shown the extent to which Government strives to keep people impotent and totally reliant on its representatives to make our decisions. The document itself has none of the accessibility that allows for democratic participation. Instead, it is filled with policy jargon that not only confuses its readers, but obscures the vital issue: nowhere on the consultation could one say no to the Third Runway! Given that 70% of the public are opposed to expansion, the consultation denied the vast democratic majority a voice in choosing the fate of their own country, and indeed voicing their view on the future of the planet.

In a time of climate crisis, when the Government should be tackling the immanent reality of catastrophic climate change, the aviation industry is making the rules. Already subsidised to the tune of £10 billion annually, the industry is now, quite clearly, driving Government policy. Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that BAA had a part in writing the Heathrow consultation document: a document which, if our democracy were healthy, would be penned independently of interested parties. Not so under the Brown government.

It has long been suspected that the government and BAA are in collusion. The documents confirm this. BAA and the Government set up a joint body - the Heathrow Delivery Group - to undertake the consultation. Not only have BAA officials actually written parts of the Consultation, but much of the data is based on BAA statistics on noise pollution. Bear in mind that this is a corporation that upholds 1992 figures - that aviation contributes to only 2% of UK carbon emissions - to combat challenges from Climate Change lobbyists, when even the Government now concedes that aviation contributes to 13% of our emissions. How can an independent, democratic consultation be conducted when vested interests dominate the landscape? The fixed nature of the consultation makes a farce of our democracy.

On the rooftops of parliament Plane Stupid made just this point. This government has ignored the voices of the public, and indeed, the voices of our representatives in the chamber. MPs across the country are against Heathrow expansion. MPs across the country acknowledge the reality of climate change. Brown's response to the protestors positioned above his head was that "decisions are made in the chamber, not on the roof." But decisions are not made in the chamber. They are made in the offices of corporations. They are made in the rooms of No.10. This becomes increasingly clear with every day that Brown supports expansion plans and goes against the demands of his people and of leading scientists.

Our democracy is failing us. Plane Stupid highlighted this message on Wednesday by taking direct action. At no point was this aspect of our message questioned. Many now understand that non-violent direct action is a legitimate (if not the only remaining) response to this failure. When the traditional channels of politics are rendered so corrupt, we must look beyond them. Gordon Brown may not see the rooftops as a legitimate locus of decision-making, but there are plenty - both inside and outside parliament - who do.