Go-ahead for third Heathrow runway

A THIRD runway at Heathrow is expected to get a green light from senior ministers today – after years of delays.

A Cabinet committee is likely to approve a policy statement endorsing the decision, which would then be voted on by MPs by the end of the month.

A proposal for expanding the airport was first set out by Labour ministers more than 15 years ago.

The Daily Mail understands Theresa May is expected to face down prominent Heathrow critics, including Foreign Sec- retary Boris Johnson, and order them to back the Government.

At the weekend it was claimed Conservative MPs would be given a free vote on the issue. But last night senior sources dismissed that suggestion.

‘There wasn’t a free vote on [railway] HS2, which arguably was more disruptive to MPs’ constituencies. This is a clear manifesto commitment,’ the source said. ‘It’s not a matter of conscience. Nor is it up to the House of Commons to determine government aviation policy.’

Two years ago, under David Cameron, rebel ministers who had longstanding objections to Heathrow were given permission to campaign against expansion in their constituencies.

Yesterday former Education Secretary Justine Greening suggested a promise had been made of a free vote – something senior officials denied. ‘I hope that the government honours the commitment it made previously to have a free vote. A lot of MPs who fundamentally believe this is a bad thing will be left with no choice but to vote against a government whip,’ Miss Greening said. But a second government source accused her of ‘stirring it up’.

When he was elected MP for Uxbridge in 2015 Mr Johnson said he was prepared to ‘lie down in front of bulldozers’ to stop expansion. Trade minister Greg Hands, MP for the West London constituency of Hammersmith and Fulham, is also opposed to a third runway.