Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing strong opposition after reports suggested he may not allow MPs to vote on the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Downing Street has said no final decision has been made on whether Parliament will get to vote on the project. This is different from 2018 when the Conservative government allowed MPs to vote on the issue.
Former Labour environment minister Barry Gardiner said Parliament should have a say, as this is a big change from Labour’s previous position. He pointed out that the government is already supporting airport expansion and signaling its willingness to make it happen.
He also warned that many Labour MPs would want a vote on the plan.
“This is a major change in policy, and many MPs are uncomfortable with it,” he said.
Avoiding a vote would help prevent disagreements among Cabinet ministers but could anger Labour MPs in London. Many of them believe the noise and air pollution caused by a third runway must be considered.
This approach is different from what the Conservative government did in 2018. Back then, they approved a third runway but still held a vote, despite the risk of division. At the time, Boris Johnson, who was against the expansion, was criticized for avoiding the debate by taking a trip to Afghanistan.
Starmer may want to avoid a similar situation, especially with Cabinet members like Environment Secretary Ed Miliband, who has previously spoken against the runway.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said no decision had been made yet.
“We haven’t reached that stage yet. We will provide updates in due course, but right now, we are focusing on the early stages,” he said.
The Conservative Party insists that Parliament should have a say. A party spokesperson said:
“With seven Cabinet members, including Starmer and Miliband, having spoken against the expansion, we hope Labour will allow a vote in Parliament. This will give local people a chance to ask their MPs to represent them.”
They added that a vote would also give legal certainty to everyone involved.
Heathrow has been asked to submit plans for a third runway by June. The Department for Transport will then release a new policy statement supporting the project, replacing the one made by the Conservatives in 2018.
However, Starmer will not be able to avoid a vote on the upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill. This law aims to make it easier to approve big projects like the runway and prevent legal challenges from stopping them.
Several London Labour MPs are worried about the expansion, including Ruth Cadbury, chair of the Commons Transport Committee and MP for Brentford and Isleworth. She has announced that her committee will investigate the issue.
