Reeves says 'growth trumps other things' amid Heathrow expansion speculation

The Chancellor is expected to usage a code connected maturation adjacent week to enactment the projected 3rd runway astatine the westbound London airdrome and endorse enlargement astatine Gatwick and Luton Airports

Rachel Reeves is gearing up to situation cardinal Labour figures who reason Heathrow expansion, arguing that economical maturation outweighs different issues.

The Chancellor is acceptable to backmost the 3rd runway astatine Heathrow successful an upcoming code connected growth, arsenic good arsenic expansions astatine Gatwick and Luton Airports.

This stance is apt to spark a clash with environmentalists and elder Labour members similar London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, some of whom person antecedently opposed Heathrow's 3rd runway. Sir Sadiq was re-elected successful 2024 connected an anti-airport enlargement platform, and adjacent Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer voted against Heathrow's enlargement successful June 2018.

While Ms Reeves declined to remark connected "speculation" astir Heathrow, she highlighted the government's enactment for enlarging London City and Stansted Airports. At a Bloomberg lawsuit successful Davos, erstwhile asked astir imaginable conflicts with Sir Sadiq and Mr Miliband implicit Heathrow, she criticised the erstwhile government's indecisiveness, saying: "This was the occupation with the past authorities – that determination was ever idiosyncratic that said: ‘Oh yes, of people we privation to turn the system but we don’t similar that investment, we don’t similar that upwind farm, we don’t similar those pylons, we don’t similar that airport, we don’t privation that lodging adjacent us’."

The Chancellor expressed a steadfast stance connected prioritising growth, stating: "But the reply can’t ever beryllium ‘no’ and that’s been the occupation successful Britain for a agelong time, that erstwhile determination was a prime betwixt thing that would turn the system and thing else, thing other ever won.

"Now, of course, determination are different things that matter, but erstwhile we accidental that maturation is the fig 1 ngo of this Government, we mean it, and that means it trumps different things. And truthful we’re making pro-growth decisions successful the nationalist interest."

EasyJet's CEO, Kenton Jarvis, supported the expected announcement, saying: "We invited the decisive enactment by the Government to turn the economy."

"We’ve ever said that aviation, the industry, is an enabler of economical growth."

Regarding Heathrow, Jarvis added: "When it comes to Heathrow, I’ve ever thought Heathrow would acceptable our web of superior airports with large catchment areas.

"It would beryllium a unsocial accidental to run from Heathrow astatine standard – due to the fact that evidently close present it’s slot-constrained – and springiness america an accidental to supply little fares for UK consumers that presently astatine Heathrow conscionable person the enactment of emblem carriers.

"It fits with our network, we’re contiguous astatine each the different large European airports similar Schiphol, Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Geneva etc."

Meanwhile, opponents of airdrome enlargement reason that expanding flights would harm the environment. Alethea Warrington, caput of aviation astatine clime foundation Possible, has warned: "Approving airdrome expansions would beryllium a catastrophic misstep for a Government which claims to beryllium a clime leader.

"This immense summation successful emissions won’t assistance our economy, and would conscionable promote the tiny radical of predominant flyers who instrumentality astir of the flights, further worsening the UK’s immense tourism deficit."

She suggested that the Government should absorption connected supporting "affordable and low-carbon trains and buses".

Meanwhile, Jenny Bates, transport campaigner astatine Friends of the Earth, said: "A determination to green-light different runway astatine Heathrow would beryllium hugely irresponsible successful the midst of a clime exigency and fixed 2024 was the archetypal twelvemonth to surpass the all-important 1.5 degrees threshold."

"It would besides alert successful the look of the Prime Minister’s committedness to amusement planetary enactment connected clime change."

Heathrow’s 3rd runway task secured parliamentary support successful June 2018 but has been delayed by ineligible challenges implicit the biology impact, and the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, determination is nary Development Consent Order exertion for the scheme, and it is up to Heathrow if it submits one.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has until February 27 to marque a determination connected whether to let Gatwick to bring its existing exigency bluish runway into regular use. She besides has until April 3 to determine connected Luton Airport’s bid to rise its headdress connected rider numbers.

There are whispers that Ms Reeves whitethorn backmost the Lower Thames Crossing – a projected caller roadworthy nexus betwixt Kent and Essex – arsenic good arsenic a Universal Studios taxable parkland successful Bedford.