The U.K. government is supporting the development of a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. Treasury Secretary Rachel Reeves announced Wednesday in a speech intended to demonstrate that the new Labour administration is serious about improving the economy.
She added that another runway at the United Kingdom’s principal airport will boost the country’s long-term economic growth potential. “We cannot duck the decision any longer,” she told me. “The case is stronger than ever.”
Reeves stated that the government was seeking ideas for its construction by the summer and would then conduct a thorough study. “This will ensure that the project is value for money, and our clear expectation is that any associated service transport costs will be financed through private funding,” according to her. Campaigners have long opposed a third runway because of environmental issues. Reeves’ declaration will almost certainly meet strong resistance, even from other Labour Party members such as London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Khan reiterated his opposition to a new runway, citing the “severe impact it will have on noise, air pollution, and meeting our climate change targets.” He stated that he would carefully consider the new suggestions, including the impact on residents and the significant implications for our transportation system.
“Despite the progress that’s been made in the aviation sector to make it more sustainable, I’m simply not persuaded that you can have hundreds of thousands of extra flights at Heathrow every year without a tremendous impact on our environment,” said Mr. Blair. In her address, Reeves stated that the runway will be “delivered in line with our legal, environmental, and climate objectives.”
A third runway at Heathrow has been considered since 1946, following World War II, but has never materialized due to various factors, including government changes and legal hurdles. Meanwhile, other European hub airports have expanded. Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport has four runways, but Amsterdam’s Schiphol has six. The Labour administration desperately needs growth rates to rise in the coming years to raise living standards after the cost-of-living crisis and invest in deteriorating public services. Since taking office in July, Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been chastised for downplaying the economy and increasing business taxes, a combination that critics argue has resulted in a slowdown in growth in recent months and a sharp drop in the government’s popularity in opinion polls.
Though a third runway would not boost economic growth in the short term since it may take a decade to complete, Reeves believes that the news will signal investors that the government is serious about turning the economy around.
“We are not waiting years into the future,” she told me. “We want to do things now, to turn around the economy, and to give businesses and investors trust that this is a country that can begin doing things, to start making goods in once.” A third runway would need to demolish around 700 homes and relocate portions of the M25 highway that surrounds London into a tunnel.
