A future Conservative government will “do whatever it takes” to deliver a third runway at Heathrow Airport, the shadow chancellor is set to announce, reports BritPanorama.
In an address to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Andrew Griffith will state: “We’re ‘all in’ for growth and we will legislate to sweep away the blockers to getting the infrastructure our country needs built.”
The comments follow Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s remarks at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool last week, where she indicated that Prime Minister Andy Burnham maintains an “open mind” regarding expansion at the nation’s busiest airport.
Under current plans, Heathrow management aims to obtain planning approval by 2029, although the additional runway is not anticipated to be operational until 2039. Mr. Griffith has rejected this timeline, asserting: “I refuse to accept for a single moment that the country of (Isambard Kingdom) Brunel and (Joseph) Bazalgette, of the vaccine taskforce and the Mulberry harbours (built off the coast of Normandy during the Second World War) has to sit around waiting until the 2040s to get a third runway built.”
Griffith plans to tell party supporters that “countries on the rise have the best infrastructure and connectivity to the world, but our national hub airport is being held back.” He will underscore that “the next Conservative government will do whatever it takes to end the delays and boost capacity by backing the third runway.”
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg program last week, Mr. Burnham suggested the airport’s future was “a matter for London and Londoners.” He stated, “I think it’s right that we hear what people have said through the consultation and then consider the way forward from there.”
At a Politico fringe event in Liverpool, Ms. Alexander remarked: “I think Andy’s got an open mind,” acknowledging that the Prime Minister intends to “listen to the views of communities,” particularly those most affected in London, as well as commercial interests.
Thomas Woldbye, chief executive of Heathrow Airport, noted the growing “can do” consensus behind Heathrow expansion, affirming that “Heathrow and our investors stand ready to work with politicians from across the spectrum to finally get the third runway built.”
The discussion surrounding Heathrow’s expansion reflects broader debates on infrastructure development in the UK, highlighting the tension between regional interests and national imperatives.
