Labour is split over plans to back a hugely controversial third runway at Heathrow as Rachel Reeves scrambles to boost the UK’s flatlining economy.
The chancellor is poised to support the expansion of the London airport, a move long opposed by her cabinet colleague Ed Miliband.
On Tuesday, the Labour mayors of London and Greater Manchester hit out at the plans, which one Labour peer described as “madness”.
The government could even face legal action from London mayor Sadiq Khan, after it emerged he 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.”
A spokesperson for Mr Khan said he had a “long-standing opposition to airport expansion around London – linked to the negative impact on air quality, noise and London’s ability to reach net zero by 2030.”
Labour peer Prem Sikka said a third runway would be “madness”, was “bound to lead to environmental degradation” and protests and was a “vote loser”.
Former shadow minister Rosena Allin-Khan, who represents a London constituency, told The Independent: “Heathrow will never go through as it’ll be stuck in judicial reviews forever. Gatwick could and should be expanded.”
Ruth Cadbury, a Labour MP and Heathrow sceptic who chairs the transport select committee, told the Telegraph ministers were “jumping the gun” in seeking to push through three airport projects at the same time. “Expanding three airports in the South East would also do nothing for regional economies that are already left behind, and you have to question where it would leave our climate policy,” she added.
In 2018, Mr Miliband tweeted: “We owe it to future generations not just to have good environmental principles but to act on them. That is why I will be voting against the third runway at Heathrow.”
Last month, Gatwick boss Stewart Wingate told The Independent he was pleading for permission from transport secretary Heidi Alexander to bring his airport’s standby runway into permanent use.
He warned: “London’s airports are already reaching capacity and demand is forecast to grow by more than 30 million passengers by 2030. We are already full at peak times.”
And he joined longstanding calls from a series of Heathrow bosses including incumbent Thomas Woldbye, who has said the plan for a third runway at Britain’s busiest airport is contingent on government support.
Both bosses have warned that by not approving the plans, the government is missing out on an opportunity to boost growth. Amid growing fears about the state of Britain’s economy, with Ms Reeves expected to push through deep cuts when the government publishes its upcoming spending review, she has ordered ministers to come up with ideas to boost growth.
Chair of the Labour Growth Group, Chris Curtis backed calls for a third runway at Heathrow, saying: “We are determined to do everything that we can in order to get [the economy] fixed, and in my view, that does include building a third runway at Heathrow.
“We talked about the importance of living in an interconnected world, I think, having more airport capacity, including at Heathrow, is a really important part of that.”
On Tuesday, Ms Reeves sidestepped a question about Heathrow expansion but added: “What I would say is this government is absolutely committed to growing our economy and making this a great place for businesses to invest and trade in.”
A government spokesperson refused to comment on speculation, but added: “We are determined to get our economy moving and secure the long-term future of the UK’s aviation sector.
“All expansion proposals must demonstrate they contribute to economic growth, while remaining in line with existing environmental obligations.”
Heathrow boss Mr Woldbye has told The Independent that plans for a third runway are being revived, but has also warned that they will not submit proposals unless the government is fully onboard.
Speaking at the Airlines 2024 conference, he said: “We need to get around the table and say, do we want this? And we need to do that relatively fast because we cannot keep spending money.
“That requires discussion. It’s not just Heathrow, it’s the airlines, it’s the government, it’s parliament, it’s everybody around this.
“We can’t do that just as a single company. We are the tactical executors on the plan but transportation strategy is a government issue.”
Plans to allow Gatwick to use its second runway for departures are also expected to be approved, which would double passenger numbers to around 80 million a year. And Labour is also set to accept the expansion of Luton airport’s capacity from 18 million a year to 32 million a year.
