Mayor of London Boris Johnson has come under fire for being too busy to meet MP Derek Wyatt (Lab) about his controversial dream for a £40 billion airport just two miles of Sheppey.

The Sittingbourne and Sheppey member is incensed by the Mayor’s dismissive response to his written invitation to talk,

Johnson responded: “ Much as I appreciate your invitation, I am, alas, snowed under, and musn’t take on anything else at the moment.”

Mr Wyatt has sent a stinging reply: “ You threaten the livelihood of 45,000 people on the isle of Sheppey without any consultation or pre-warning - and then you haven’t the grace to see their local MP.”

Johnson has revived a scheme, which first reared its head 40 years ago, for a Thames Estuary airport. He is seeking an alternative to Heathrow expansion, and has commissioned a feasibility study to create “Heathrow-on-Sea” on an artficial island just two miles off Sheerness seafront.

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