Boris Johnson launched a ferocious attack on Business Secretary Vince Cable today after the minister claimed London is becoming a “giant suction machine draining the life” out of other parts of Britain.
Mr Cable, who has led calls to “re-balance” the economy, made the controversial remark as he urged that expansion at regional airports should be explored further rather than a third runway be built at Heathrow.
A new or extended runway at Heathrow and a second at Gatwick were the three preferred options to deal with growing demand for flights put forward by the Airports Commission led by Sir Howard Davies.
But it ruled out expansion at Stansted in Essex or Birmingham before 2030.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Cable said: “One of the big problems we have at the moment — which I don’t think the report sufficiently addresses — is that London is becoming a kind of giant suction machine, draining the life out of the rest of the country. More balance in that respect would be helpful.”
But Mr Johnson dismissed Twickenham Lib-Dem MP Mr Cable’s comment as a “stupefying and ridiculous assertion”. The Mayor added: “He’s talking rubbish, I’m amazed and I fundamentally disagree.
“Far from being a drain on the rest of the UK, London is helping to drive job creation and growth outside the capital as well as in it. He needs to stop blaming London and start believing in it. His constituents in west London will be flabbergasted.” Mr Johnson stressed that the capital now contributes more to the UK’s GDP than ever before, attracting record overseas investment. His office listed a string of benefits from London to the wider economy including central London office developments annually contributing 34,000 jobs to the economy, with more than half of the posts and of the £1.7 billion economic boost being outside the capital.
They said Transport for London supports 55,000 jobs in the UK across its supply chain, with 39,000 of these outside, and in 2010/11 London contributed £5 billion more in taxes than it received in spending.
Mr Cable and Mr Johnson have also clashed over the City, with the Business Secretary leading the attack on bankers’ bonuses while the Mayor backed the Square Mile.
An aide to Mr Cable defended his comments today, saying: “Vince is speaking for the whole of Britain. Boris is speaking for one city.” But the two do both oppose expansion at Heathrow.
