Labour split over support for third Heathrow runway

Labour is split over plans to back a hugely controversial third runway at Heathrow as Rachel Reeves scrambles to boost the UR’s flatlining economy.

- KATE DEVLIN & ARCHIE MITCHELL

The chancellor is poised to support the expansion of the London airport, a move long opposed by her cabinet colleague Ed Miliband. But the Labour mayors of London and Greater Manchester yesterday hit out at the plan, which one Labour peer described as “madness”.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said last week that if Heathrow came back “with plans for a new runway that was supported by the government, I wouldn’t hesitate to launch, with partners and colleagues, another legal challenge”.

As well as publicly endorsing Heathrow’s much-postponed plan for a third runway, the government is reportedly set to approve a second runway at Gatwick and an application for Luton airport to double its capacity.

Cabinet ministers including Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Miliband, the energy secretary, and Steve Reed, the environment secretary, have all previously opposed Heathrow’s expansion. But last week Ms Reeves said the rising cost of borrowing and falling value of the pound underlined the need for ministers to go “further and faster” in search of economic growth.

As well as a cabinet clash, the move would set Ms Reeves on a collision course with climate campaigners, who have consistently rallied against a third runway.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham hit out, saying the decision would help “overheat” the economy. He warned: “It’s a model for an ever-overheating UK economy rather than a more balanced, levelled-up economy, which is what we would argue for. Manchester airport has two runways and it doesn’t operate at full capacity.”