Heathrow expansion back to the drawing board
news22nd July 2016
The EU Referendum result has thrown doubt on the planned expansion of Heathrow Airport - quashing rumours that a third runway would be announced on July 7th-8th.
Behind-the-scenes word from Westminster before the Brexit vote was revealed suggested that the timing would be used to effectively bury the announcement in amongst the coverage of the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War.
However, after Remain lost the referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron announced his intention to step down, which is likely to have brought the expansion plans to an indefinite halt.
There was some positive news for the possible expansion though, as Boris Johnson's decision not to run for the Conservative leadership removes a major opponent of the third runway.
Robert Barnstone, campaign coordinator for Stop Heathrow Expansion (SHE), said: "David Cameron, with his term as Prime Minister now entering its final phase, is unlikely to want to cause further damage within his own ranks on whether the highly controversial expansion of Heathrow goes ahead."
However, Heathrow Airport itself responded to the Leave victory by urging the project to go ahead, to ensure Britain is able to compete with its EU neighbours in the years to come.
The statement said: "The case for expansion at Heathrow is stronger than ever before. Only Heathrow can help Britain be the great trading nation connecting all regions of the UK to the world.
"We are confident that the government will make the right choice for the future of the UK, putting the interests of the country first. We look forward to working with the government and its agencies on next steps."
SHE reacted to this by suggesting that after 70 years of failed attempts to gain permission for a third runway, it is unlikely that now is the right time to give the go-ahead.
Instead, the campaign argued that approving expansion now would be even more risky in a climate in which the UK is considering who should be its next Prime Minister, while potentially moving towards an exit from the EU.
Written by Ian Johnson
