Rachel Reeves confirms government backing for Heathrow third runway
Rachel Reeves confirms government backing for Heathrow third runway
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In economic growth speech, chancellor says move would make UK ‘world’s best-connected place to do business’. Rachel Reeves has confirmed that the government will throw its weight behind a third runway at Heathrow, claiming it will make the UK “the world’s best-connected place to do business”.
In a speech in Oxfordshire on her plans for national growth, the chancellor said: “We cannot duck the decision any longer.” She said the London hub “connects to emerging markets all over the world, opening up new opportunities for growth”. Reeves claimed the case for expansion at Europe’s busiest airport was “stronger than ever”. She insisted expansion would be achieved within the government’s carbon emissions targets, claiming: “We are already making great strides towards cleaner and greener aviation.”.
Confirmation of the government’s plans for Heathrow is likely to spark fury among environmental campaigners, who argue it will make it impossible for the UK to meet its carbon emissions targets. The speech set out a range of “supply-side” policies Reeves said would kickstart growth, from sweeping away environmental regulation to bankrolling transport projects.
The chancellor also underlined the importance of establishing a smoother trading relationship with the EU, which she said would be in the “national interest”. She said the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, present at Wednesday’s speech, would soon travel to India in pursuit of a new trade and investment deal.
