The UK “can’t afford” to be a country that “doesn’t build runways”, a cabinet minister has said ahead of a speech where the Chancellor is expected to announce Government support for the expansion of three London airports.
Economic growth "will not come without a fight", Rachel Reeves is expected to say as she announces plans designed to kickstart Britain's floundering economy.
The speech, in Oxfordshire, is expected to include support for the controversial third runway at Heathrow Airport — an issue which many Cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister have opposed in the past — and reiterate the Government's backing for the redevelopment of Manchester United's Old Trafford.
New reservoirs and a new train station with fast links to London are among the measures set to be announced by the Chancellor, alongside her expected backing for the expansion of Gatwick and Luton airports.
Asked about the expected announcement of support for a third runway at Heathrow, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he would not "pre-empt" the Chancellor's speech.
He told BBC Breakfast: "I want people to know that things that have been too difficult in the past will be focused on, will be changed, will be delivered on, by this Government.
"It's not just about aviation expansion, there's a whole range of things."
He added: "We're not going to have endless judicial reviews effectively try to second-guess democratically-elected decisions from the elected government of the day.
“We will follow process, but that process has got to be one that can deliver the things.
"We simply cannot afford to say we don't build reservoirs any more, we don't build railways, we don't build runways. That's not good enough, we will be left behind."
The Chancellor is expected to claim an "Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor" has "the potential to be Europe's Silicon Valley" and offer "huge economic potential for our nation's growth prospects".
Ms Reeves is due to say: “Britain is a country of huge potential. A country of strong communities, with local businesses at their heart.
“We are the forefront of some of the most exciting developments in the world like artificial intelligence and life sciences. We have great companies based here delivering jobs and investment in Britain.
“And we have fundamental strengths – in our history, our language, and our legal system – to compete in a global economy.
“But for too long, that potential has been held back. For too long, we have accepted low expectations, accepted stagnation and accepted the risk of decline. We can do so much better.
“Low growth is not our destiny. But growth will not come without a fight. Without a government that is on the side of working people. Willing to take the right decisions now to change our country’s course for the better."
Ms Reeves is expected to announce that the planned Tempsford station in Bedfordshire will be accelerated by 3 to 5 years, with the new East Coast Mainline station linking services to London in under an hour.
She will also confirm funding for better transport links in the region, including for East-West Rail, with new services between Oxford and Milton Keynes this year as well as upgrades to the A428 to reduce journey times between Milton Keynes and Cambridge.
Billions of pounds of investment agreed with water companies will be used to upgrade infrastructure, including building nine new reservoirs.
Ms Reeves will say the Environment Agency has also lifted its objections to a development for around 4,500 new homes in Cambridgeshire.
A new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital will be prioritised as part of the Government's new hospitals programme.
Science minister Sir Patrick Vallance will be appointed as the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor champion.
Sir Patrick, who was seen regularly on TV during the Government's Covid briefings in his then-role as chief scientific adviser, will make sure the Government's ambitions in the region are delivered, the Treasury said.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Ms Reeves and the Prime Minister had ordered Cabinet colleagues to ditch policies that could get in the way of their efforts to grow the economy.
Sir Keir Starmer told business chiefs at a meeting in the City of London that he was "hard-wiring growth into all the decisions of the Cabinet".
It comes after the Aviation Minister said proposals for a third runway at Heathrow would need to demonstrate they "contribute to economic growth" and are "compatible with the UK's legally binding climate-change commitments".
Mike Kane added that airport expansion proposals would also need to meet "strict" environmental standards on air quality and noise pollution as he sought to address concerns raised by London and South East MPs.
Some Labour MPs encouraged the Government to strike a balance between growth and environmental concerns, while the Tories claimed talk of Heathrow expansion was a "panicked and rushed attempt" by Ms Reeves to "distract attention from the state of the economy".
Deirdre Costigan, the MP for Ealing Southall, said some of her constituents "will welcome the good-quality, well-paid jobs airport expansion will bring" but others will have environmental concerns.
Mr Kane told the Commons on Tuesday: "We have been clear that any airport expansion proposals would need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, are compatible with the UK's legally binding climate-change commitments and meet strict environmental standards of air quality and noise pollution.”
It mirrors remarks made by Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband on Monday.
Brighton Green Party MP Sian Berry said a third runway at Heathrow was "vastly irresponsible" and "flying in the face" of expert advice.
