Ed Miliband won’t resign over Heathrow third runway despite environmental concerns
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Energy secretary and former Labour leader pledged to vote against expansion six years ago saying ‘we owe it to future generations not just to have good environmental principles but to act on them’. Ed Miliband has ruled out resigning as energy secretary if Rachel Reeves backs a third runway at Heathrow - despite his previous objections.
![[Labour mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan put the chancellor on notice he would consider joining a legal challenge if she does back a third runway (Lucy North/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/23/13/217079e678a213cca663d4d571fea23aY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM3NzI1NzEw-2.78398626.jpg)
More than a decade ago, Mr Miliband reportedly threatened to quit Gordon Brown’s cabinet if the then Labour government supported the airport’s expansion. And in 2018 he said he would vote against another runway in the House of Commons, because "we owe it to future generations not just to have good environmental principles but to act on them”.
![[Environmentalists are opposed to a third runway]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/21/11/8dbc20dd-3c93-48c0-83b8-aa558da6c76e.jpg)
But asked on Thursday if he would consider handing in his resignation if the government gives the go-ahead, he said: "Don’t be ridiculous, no. The whole of the government is focused, and I’m focused, on delivering our clean energy mission as part of what we need to do as a country, as part of the Prime Minister’s mission and as part of meeting our economic growth mission - our number one priority.".
Labour’s deep splits on the issue were still apparent, however, as the Labour mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan put the chancellor on notice he would consider joining a legal challenge if she does back a third runway. He said the aviation sector was important for growth and prosperity but added “we face a climate crisis and a climate emergency’.
Pointing to a finding by the climate change committee that the only time expansion should be considered is if it abides with climate change commitments, he said: “The three big concerns that need to be addressed is could a new runway be built that abides with carbon targets, concerns around noise pollution, concerns around air pollution. Should that speculation become a reality we’ll of course consider the merits of that (legal ) case. I’m quite clear my views have not changed.”.
