Rachel Reeves’s growth agenda has clashed with Net Zero as London Mayor Sadiq Khan prepares to lead a Labour rebellion against the Chancellor’s backing for a third runway at Heathrow over environmental concerns. The Telegraph has more.
Sir Sadiq is expected to make clear his opposition to Heathrow expansion as early as Wednesday, when he answers questions before the London Assembly.
It follows reports that the Chancellor will back the long-delayed runway as part of a scramble to revive the struggling economy, as well as supporting plans to double capacity at Gatwick and Luton.
The proposals are likely to prove politically toxic within Labour, which is committed to a drastic reduction in carbon emissions as part of the shift to Net Zero. Seven Cabinet ministers including Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister; Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary; and Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary, have previously opposed Heathrow’s expansion.
It is expected to draw fierce resistance from supporters of the shift to Net Zero, as reduced emissions from air travel are a key part of the Government’s plan to go green.
The Climate Change Committee, the Government’s key adviser on tacking CO2, warned on Tuesday against a rush to expand airport capacity without first making air travel itself more sustainable.
A spokesman for Sir Sadiq said: “The Mayor has a long-standing opposition to airport expansion around London – linked to the negative impact on air quality, noise and London’s ability to reach Net Zero by 2030.”
Mr Miliband and other Cabinet ministers have not yet commented on the proposals, but senior backbenchers and campaigners have been quick to condemn them.
Ruth Cadbury, a Labour MP and Heathrow sceptic who chairs the Transport Select Committee, said the Government was “jumping the gun” in seeking to push through three airport projects at the same time.
The Climate Change Committee, which has a statutory role in advising the Government, meanwhile reiterated that there must be no airport expansion unless emissions are cut fast enough to allow extra flights without undermining the agreed carbon-reduction pathway.
Ms Reeves may publicly back a third Heathrow runway and indicate her support for the Gatwick and Luton proposals later this month. The Chancellor is considering setting out her support in a speech on economic growth, Bloomberg reported.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: The Bank of England should be freed from Net Zero rules to help grow the economy, Rachel Reeves has been told by the Bank’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).
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