Squirming Boris Johnson today managed to repeat his infamous pledge to lie down in front of the bulldozers to stop Heathrow Airport’s third runway.
The Tory leader admitted he would “have to find some way of honouring that promise” after being grilled by LBC host Nick Ferrari.
But he stuttered and blustered his way over the details – and managed to give no commitment to how or when it will happen.
Today’s comments are likely to prove a major embarrassment for the Conservative leader if – as most people expect – he breaks the promise.
In 2015 the MP – whose constituency is near the airport – promised he would “lie down with you in front of those bulldozers and stop the building, stop the construction of that third runway”.
But when it came to a vote in Parliament, he fled on a £20,000 taxpayer-funded visit to Afghanistan to avoid voting against it – something which could have cost him his job as Foreign Secretary.
Since then plans have been approved and are now well advanced – with legal challenges against it dismissed by the High Court.
Mr Johnson has largely managed to avoid repeating his “bulldozers” pledge, and in June he appeared to water down his views saying he only had “grave reservations”.
Today he at first refused to repeat it, telling LBC’s Nick Ferrari: “I don’t see much sign of any bulldozers yet.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
But pressed on whether he’d lie down in front of them “were the bulldozers to appear,” Mr Johnson said: “I would have to find some way of honouring that promise.
“It might be technically difficult to achieve, but, er, yes.”
Asked to confirm he’d find a technical way to lie down in front of the bulldozers, he said: “Let’s wait and see when the bulldozers arrive.”
The Prime Minister added: “The issue with Heathrow as you know is there is still substantial doubt about the ability of the promoters to meet their obligations on air quality and noise pollution.
“But as you know Parliament has voted very substantially in favour of that project so that’s where we are on Heathrow.”
