Martin Salter has pledged to fight tooth and nail against the building of a third runway at Heathrow for as long as public support of the Government's position looks to be harming his chances of re-election.

Mr. Salter told reporters: "I keep telling people that the Government has made no decision on a third runway, just like we have made no decision on putting everyone in the UK on a giant database [wink]. The bulldozers parked up in Longford village with their engines running is a pure coincidence. But I can tell you that for as long as I believe that I'm going to get a good kicking over my blind support for the Government I will campaign long and hard against the expansion in public, then walk through the lobby in support just like I did with the Post Office closures. I'm sure that nearer the day I will be given private unspecified 'assurances' that will allow me to support the expansion without any accusations of being two-faced."