Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
Sir faces a furious backlash after it emerged he may refuse to give MPs a vote on a third runway.
Downing Street said no decision has been made on whether the House of Commons will be asked to approve the scheme, even though the Conservative government did hold a vote when a third runway was proposed in 2018.
Labour former environment minister Barry Gardiner said: “Of course there should be a vote. This is a major departure from the party’s previous stance.
“They are approving airport expansion already and they are giving a very clear signal about their willingness to co-operate to get that to happen.”
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And he warned that many Labour MPs would demand a say on the expansion proposal.
“This is a major change in policy and many colleagues feel deeply uneasy about it.”
Failing to hold a vote would avoid the risk of a damaging Cabinet split but could enrage Labour MPs in London seats who insist the impact of a third runway on noise and air pollution must be considered.
It’s a stark contrast with the approach taken by the Conservative Government in 2018, when the Government endorsed a third runway but held a Commons vote despite the potential for embarrassment. , the Foreign Secretary at the time and an outspoken opponent of the expansion, was mocked by Labour for going “missing in action” and avoiding a debate with a trip to Afghanistan.
Sir Keir will now be keen to avoid inflicting similar embarrassment on Cabinet colleagues such as Environment Secretary Ed Miliband, who has said previously that he opposes a third runway.
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The Prime Minister’s spokesman said that no decision had yet been made on whether to hold a vote.
He said: “We haven’t got ahead of that stage in the process. We will update on that in due course but we are focused at the moment on the initial stages.”
insisted the House of Commons should be given a say. A Tory spokesperson said: “With seven members of the Cabinet, including Starmer and Miliband, having been vocally opposed to this expansion we hope Labour bring forward a vote in the Commons to allow their constituents the opportunity to ask their local MP to stand up for them.
“Putting this to a fresh vote of Parliament will provide greater legal certainty for all involved.”
Heathrow has been invited draw up plans for a third runway by June and the Department for Transport will then produce an Airports National Policy Statement backing the plan. This will replace the Conservative policy statement which also backed a third runway and was the subject of the 2018 vote.
However Sir Keir will be unable to avoid a vote on the planned Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will change the law making it easier for infrastructure projects to go ahead and may be used to ensure a third runway cannot be blocked by legal challenges.
London Labour MPs concerned about Heathrow expansion include Ruth Cadbury, chair of the Commons Transport Committee and MP for Brentford and Isleworth, who has announced that her Committee will hold an inquiry into the scheme.