Net Zero Sec Miliband says he will not resign if govt backs Heathrow third runway - after years of opposition
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Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband has said he will not resign if the government backs a third runway at Heathrow following years of opposition by him. In 2009, Mr Miliband threatened to resign from Gordon Brown's cabinet as energy and climate change secretary over plans for a new runway and in 2018 he said an expansion was "very likely" to make air pollution worse.
But he has now said the government can meet both its growth and net zero missions together. Politics latest: Mini-budget not ruled out by Downing Street. Asked if he will consider resigning if the government approves a third runway, he said: "Don't be ridiculous, no.".
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to use a speech next week to support the expansion, as well as at Gatwick and Luton. Mr Miliband said the government's position is for any aviation expansion to take place within the UK's carbon budgets, which are part of plans to meet the country's 2050 target of reducing emissions by 100% compared with 1990 levels.
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Independent advisers on the government's Climate Change Committee (CC) have called for no net airport expansion without a proper national plan to curb emissions from the aviation sector and manage passenger capacity. Mr Miliband added: "What the Climate Change Committee says is that we've got to make sure any decisions we make on aviation including expansion take place within our carbon budgets.
