A bid to stop politicians being allowed free parking at Gatwick has failed.

Airport operator BAA issues 847 free annual passes to all MPs, MEPs and members of the House of Lords to use while flying on parliamentary business.

The practice has been going on for several years and can save politicians hundreds of pounds.

Long-term parking at Gatwick costs an average of £15 a day.

At the airport operator's annual meeting yesterday, a group of shareholders attempted to force a change of policy.

They wanted BAA, whose other airports include Heathrow and Stansted, to declare the passes as political donations which would then have to be approved by shareholders.

The 150 rebel shareholders were led by Brian Ross, of the Stop Stansted Expansion campaign.

The motion was defeated and the news welcomed by politicians. Des Turner, MP for Brighton Kemptown, said: "The deal is entirely complicit with legislation and standards because it is available to MPs of all parties. There is no discrimination or favouritism.

"It is also very useful because it makes life a lot easier when you go abroad several times a year on parliamentary business, which many of us do."

If the deal was scrapped the extra money needed to pay for parking would come from taxes.

He said: "BAA probably only misses out on the money from about a dozen spaces out of thousands so I doubt the arrangement has any impact on the company's profits."

BAA chairman Marcus Agius told the meeting airports in other countries had the same procedures.

Wednesday July 28, 2004