Heathrow must grow before it is too late

The Commons votes tomorrow on the future of Heathrow, and MPs must back a third runway. The objections of those MPs whose constituencies lie close to the project are understandable, but the economic case is overwhelming. Heathrow is currently the premier destination for long-haul flights, but is operating at full capacity – and if it doesn’t expand soon, travellers will go elsewhere.

It is also Britain’s biggest port by value of goods. Build a third runway and it is estimated that it will help generate a 50 per cent jump in Heathrow’s trade over time and a boost to the economy of about £100billion. The fact that Labour is giving its MPs a free vote on expansion, rather than endorsing it, illustrates how far it has drifted from the material concerns of the working class: around 50,000 local jobs are likely to be created, with thousands more further down the supply chain – and cheap and abundant air travel liberates poorer consumers.

Then there is the matter of Britain’s ability to get things done. This project has been under consideration for more than a quarter of a century and the failure to get it off the drawing board is an indictment of a country in which the housing stock is still too small, roads are clogged and parts of the nation still preposterously don’t enjoy proper broadband. The UK has gone from being worldfamous for its engineering feats – bridges such as Tyne or Forth still take the breath away – to lagging behind developing nations. Regulations are a problem; so is political myopia. Heathrow, if greenlit, stands to be financed largely by private money, so is exactly the kind of project the Government should be embracing.

The runway’s future is intrinsically linked to Brexit. It’s an example of what we must do if we want to attract business after withdrawal from the EU, but also, psychologically, a test of the country’s ability to make tough choices and embrace the future. Rather than protecting industry, we should write free-trade deals and liberate global markets. Rather than fretting about technology, we must encourage robotics and raise productivity. And as far as air travel is concerned, the UK should zoom ahead of its competitors.