Alistair Carmichael Lib Dem MP for Orkney and Shetland and Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland has called on Scotland Secretary Jim Murphy to ensure that Heathrow expansion does not endanger lifeline flights due to national carbon reduction targets.

He said: “It is right that we seek to limit the UK’s climate-changing aviation emissions. But the brunt of any reduction must be borne by non-essential domestic aviation, not lifeline flights.

“The Government’s determination to push ahead with Heathrow expansion is not only absurd on environmental grounds. It could also threaten vital lifeline flights in Scotland, as it eats up great swathes of the UK’s planned aviation emissions allowance.

“So far ministers have failed to provide reassurances that lifeline flights would be safe. Alarmingly, they have not even discussed the potential impact on these vital links with the Climate Change Committee.

“The simplest way to keep Scotland’s lifeline flights safe would be to axe plans for a third runway at Heathrow. Jim Murphy must take a stand against Heathrow expansion for the sake of both the global environment and Scotland’s remote communities.”

Local Lib Dem PPC Jean Davis fully supports this stance and further calls on local elected representatives to lobby Jim Murphy on this matter and to make their personal views known to the electorate.

She said “Whilst limiting carbon production is vitally important we are now in a situation where individuals are expected to make further personal cuts to protect the aviation industry and no assurance is forthcoming that lifeline flights will be protected.”

“In these parlous times for the Western Isles economy as demonstrated this morning by the further news on the likely closure of the Uist rocket range we need to be guaranteed that vital transport services to our islands will not be lost to support the economy in the south of England.”