Reeves says growth ‘trumps’ net zero as Heathrow runway decision looms

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the drive for growth “triumphs” the government’s net zero commitments as she prepares to: signal his support For airport expansion in the London region, including at Heathrow.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Reeves “When we say that growth is the number one mission of this government, we mean it. That means it trumps other things.”

Reeves is expected to signal in a speech next week that the government is in favor of expanding Gatwick and Luton airports, while reiterating his support for a third runway at Heathrow.

Heathrow expansion has previously been opposed by Sir Keir Starmer and several senior Labor figures, and the issue is likely to cause a cabinet split.

A decision to approve the proposal would force the government to choose between supporting “growth” and its stated goals of reducing the UK’s carbon emissions.

Some Whitehall officials believe Reeves, a supporter of Heathrow expansion, is trying to push Starmer to publicly endorse a third runway.

Asked in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer declined to comment on the “speculation”, adding: “We are committed to growth as a government. We are committed to aviation and our climate commitments.”

In theory, Reeves reiterating his support for a third runway at Heathrow could be a political signal to the airport authority before it decides whether to go ahead with the proposals later this year.

In the last House of Commons vote on a third runway at Heathrow in 2018, seven members of the current cabinet voted against it, including Starmer. The others were Ed Miliband, Steve Reid, Lisa Nandy, Darren Jones, Anneliese Dodds and Hilary Benn.

But Heathrow management has been reluctant to restart the scheme without clear political backing, with Miliband, now climate change secretary, threatening to resign over the issue, while London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is also against it.

A spokesman for Khan said this week: “The Mayor has long opposed London Airport expansion, which has been linked to negative impacts on air quality, noise and London’s ability to reach net zero by 2030.”

Critics argue that the huge expansion of flights is incompatible with the UK’s legally binding goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions, as aviation is one of the hardest industries to decarbonise, despite growing hopes of using “sustainable aviation fuels”.

Downing Street said this week that a third runway is still required at Heathrow to meet four tests on carbon emissions, noise, air quality and growth.Local noise and air pollution problems are seen by experts as the most difficult to meet in congested west London.