Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was not going to take lectures from people who talk about climate change but oppose renewable infrastructure in their own constituency
The Prime Minister has dodged questions about his stance on a third runway at Heathrow when quizzed by the Green Party.
In the House of Commons today Adrian Ramsay, co-leader of the party and MP for Waveney Valley, challenged Sir Keir Starmer on whether he backed the UK’s largest airport getting even bigger.
“Expanding London’s airports and building a third runway at Heathrow would be incredibly irresponsible in the midst of a climate emergency, flying in the face of the Climate Change Committee’s advice. The Prime Minister knows this because he and seven cabinet colleagues voted against the third runway at Heathrow in 2018. So, can the Prime Minister confirm what is his position now?”
The PM declined to comment on his stance on a project that has attracted ferocious criticism from environmental campaigners, responding: “I’m not going to comment on speculation. He knows that we are, as a Government, we are committed to growth, we are committed to the aviation sector, and to our climate obligations. But I’m not going to take lectures from those who talk about climate change but oppose vital renewable infrastructure in their own constituency.”
A spokesperson for Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan confirmed his “long-standing opposition” to airport expansion around the capital, stating: “The mayor has 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.”
However, Rachel Reeves is poised to confront prominent Labour opponents of Heathrow expansion plans, asserting that the pressing need for economic growth takes precedence over their concerns. In a speech on growth scheduled for next week, the Chancellor is likely to endorse the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport, as well as expansion at Gatwick and Luton Airports.
Although Ms Reeves declined to comment on “speculation” surrounding Heathrow, she highlighted the Government’s previous “big decisions” to support expansion plans at London City and Stansted Airports. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ms Reeves was questioned at a Bloomberg event about potential conflicts with Sir Sadiq Khan and Ed Miliband over Heathrow expansion.
She remarked: “The previous Government’s issue was that there was always someone saying, ‘Yes, we want to grow the economy, but we dislike that investment, that wind farm, those pylons, or that airport expansion.'”
EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis supported the Chancellor’s expected announcement, saying: “We welcome the decisive action by the Government to grow the economy. We’ve always said that aviation, the industry, is an enabler of economic growth.
“When it comes to Heathrow, I’ve always thought Heathrow would fit our network of primary airports with great catchment areas. It would be a unique opportunity to operate from Heathrow at scale – because obviously right now it’s slot-constrained – and give us an opportunity to provide lower fares for UK consumers that currently at Heathrow just have the option of flag carriers.
“It fits with our network, we’re present at all the other major European airports like Schiphol, Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Geneva etc.”
However, critics argue that increasing flights could harm the environment. Alethea Warrington, head of aviation at climate charity Possible, warned: “Approving airport expansions would be a catastrophe.” She suggested that the Government should concentrate on supporting “affordable and low-carbon trains and buses”.
Jenny Bates, a transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth, stated: “A decision to green-light another runway at Heathrow would be hugely irresponsible in the midst of a climate emergency and given 2024 was the first year to surpass the all-important 1.5 degrees threshold.
“It would also fly in the face of the Prime Minister’s promise to show international leadership on climate change.”
The third runway project at Heathrow received parliamentary approval in June 2018 but has been delayed due to legal challenges over its environmental impact and the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, there is no Development Consent Order application for the scheme, and it is up to Heathrow if it submits one.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has until February 27 to decide whether to allow Gatwick to use its existing emergency northern runway regularly. She has until April 3 to make a decision on Luton Airport’s proposal to increase its passenger number cap.