Archbishop of Canterbury backs Make a NOise! demo

At the end of this month thousands of people are gathering at Hatton Cross to oppose the third runway and airport expansion. We'll be there of course, but the marchers might have a very special guest: rumour has it that God will be joining them.

OK, so maybe that's an exaggeration: God may or may not be there (it is, admittedly, hard to tell), but the Archbishop of Canterbury has given his backing for the demonstration, sending a letter of support to be read out during the rally. The Archbishop's spokesman told the Evening Standard: "He acknowledges the strength of support (against a third runway). He is aware of the problems encountered by churches on the ground across London. He is trying not to fly if he can help it. He has not flown at all this year."

As Bob Dylan explained back in 1964, having God on your side does make things a bit easier. Flippancy aside, the coalition of the unlikely is growing stronger and broader every day. Even the Evening Standard, voice of conservative capitalism, has switched sides, with a recent editorial opposing expansion. Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Transport, is well known as to be deeply religious. Will the Archbishop's support for the campaign sway her?