Exeter Airport will now NOT be sold to the owners of Bristol Airport. The Competition Commission took a long hard look at the "deal" between Devon County Council - who currently own the airport - and the county's "preferred" bidder. With all the signs pointing towards a humiliating rejection of the sale the bidder pulled out at the last moment.

So what on earth has this got to do with the MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset ?

I smelled a rat when I first read about the sale of the airport. I doubted if Devon County Council has done enough consultation. I became deeply suspicious when the owners of Bristol were named as the number one favourite. I have nothing against them, or against Bristol airport. But it simply is not good business practise to have two important regional airports owned by the same company. Honest competition is bound to suffer.

So I made a fuss (along with others) and the Government got the message. This issue is very important indeed for Bridgwater. My constituency is pretty well half way between Exeter and Bristol. Business and Tourism matters to the people I represent. Competition tends to encourage better service and lower prices. But Devon County Council had opted for a quick fix deal instead. This has cost council tax payers in Devon a great deal of wasted money. The public deserve a much more open and straightforward way of cashing in on such a valuable asset as a council-owned airport. Hopefully, because of my intervention, Devon County Council will now be forced to do a better job.