May grounds Boris in battle over Heathrow
Downing Street bans rebels from fighting against third runway
Boris Johnson was effectively gagged by Theresa May over Heathrow last night as No 10 insisted Tory rebels would not be allowed to campaign against a third runway.
After the longdelayed airport expansion finally received Government approval, the Prime Minister took a hard line with ministers who have opposed the project.
Those with ‘longstanding views’ will need to seek permission from No10 in advance even to comment to their local paper, officials said. Downing street also confirmed it would impose a threeline whip on a vote on the plans, meaning any ministers who want to vote against will forced to resign.
Both the Foreign secretary and Greg Hands, the international Trade minister, are expected to be absent from the vote on overseas trips to spare their blushes.
in the Commons, Transport secretary Chris Grayling confirmed the third runway project had at last been given the green light. MPs will vote on the plans within three weeks.
The runway is expected to cost £14billion and be running by 2026. it will deliver at least 260,000 extra flights a year, giving Heathrow the capacity for dozens of new routes to trade hubs and tourist destinations.
Mr Grayling confirmed there would be a six-and-a-half-hour period at night when flights would be banned, to protect residents living in the flight path. Up to £2.6billion will be spent by the airport on compensation for residents, noise insulation and improvements to the local area, he said.
He argued that the runway would provide an estimated £74billion boost to the economy over 60 years and better connect the UK to the world with an extra 16million longhaul seats available by 2040. it will also provide more flights to regional airports.
Mrs May hailed the decision, which is backed by business leaders, as a boost for Brexit Britain. she said: ‘[it] demonstrates this Government’s commitment to deliver the jobs and major infrastructure that this country needs to thrive as we leave the EU. This new runway will give us the tools to ensure that the UK remains one of the best-But connected and most outwardlooking countries in the world.’
Mr Grayling said: ‘ The time for action is now. Heathrow is already full and the evidence shows the remaining London airports won’t be far behind.’
The decision was approved yesterday morning by a Cabinet subcommittee, but at a later meeting of the full Cabinet, Mr Johnson apparently restated his opposition.
on the question of whether the Uxbridge MP – and former Mayor of London – would be allowed to speak out, Mrs May’s official spokesman said: ‘No minister will be permitted to campaign actively against the Government position, nor publicly criticise or call into question the decisionmaking process itself. Ministers will not be permitted to speak against the Government in the House.’
several backbench Tories have indicated their intention to vote against expansion. Former Cabinet minister Justine Greening said: ‘it’s a really bad proposal for the British economy which will create the most uncompetitive airport in the world as our hub airport.
Jacob rees-Mogg backed an alternative plan to extend the second runway, saying it would be cheaper.
However, despite the opposition, the vote is likely to sail through the Commons as Labour is split.
The project has wide support among its MPs in the North and Midlands and is backed by the unions, although shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington, said he was ‘implacably opposed’ to ‘a costly, environmental and social disaster that will never be built’.
Heathrow hopes to begin construction in 2021. But the project will inevitably face legal challenges from residents, environmental groups and local councils. A key concern is the M25, which the new runway will cross, with one plan to create a road tunnel and another to give the runway a slight gradient.
‘The time for action is now’