UK cabinet ministers are reportedly pressuring Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, over the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport, with Chancellor John Healey stating the government supports the project as a driver of economic growth. This comes amid rising tensions within the Labour party regarding the controversial third runway.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told a conference that the government was working diligently to advance the scheme, describing it as a potential "shot in the arm" for the South East region. Alexander highlighted previous approvals for expansion at Luton and Gatwick airports, noting the creation of tens of millions of extra passengers, thousands of new jobs, and new routes as positive outcomes.
While Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have expressed strong support for a third Heathrow runway, Burnham has adopted an ambivalent stance. Burnham has previously voiced opposition to the expansion, calling it a "model for an ever-overheating UK economy" in January of the previous year and warning it could divert essential investment away from northern infrastructure. He also expressed concern in 2019 that the expansion would "trap infrastructure spending inside the M25 for ten years."
Sources suggest a division within the cabinet, with Healey, Alexander, and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds appearing as key proponents, while Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Net Zero Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh are described as more skeptical.
The government is currently reviewing responses to a public consultation on the national planning statement, with a potential vote in the House of Commons anticipated next year, although no definitive timeline has been set.
Chancellor Healey affirmed the Treasury's support for the third runway during a session with the Treasury Select Committee, stating, "The Government is behind a third runway at Heathrow, I'm part of the Government." He added, "Our experience in recent decades, is it not, is that successful airports are very often an engine for economic growth in the wider area?"
Heathrow Airport Limited aims to secure permission to construct a 3,500-meter runway, a project that would necessitate the relocation of the M25 motorway. Reeves has indicated a desire to begin construction within the current parliamentary term, with a target completion date of 2035. However, current projections suggest the earliest possible completion year may be 2039, with planning permission potentially finalized by 2029.