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 long-delayed airport expansion finally received Government approval, the Prime Minister took a hard line with ministers who have opposed the project.
Those with ‘long-standing 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 three-line whip on a vote on the plans, meaning any ministers who want to vote against will be forced to resign.
An artist’s impression of how Heathrow Airport would look with the third runway added
The Prime Minister said the huge project at Heathrow (pictured) was part of the overhaul needed to ensure the UK can ‘thrive’ outside the EU
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced the Heathrow plans had been approved in a statement to MPs today. Former education secretary Justine Greening claimed a promise had been made of a free vote and said Mr Johnson should be allowed to ‘represent his community’
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 long-haul seats available by 2040. It will also provide more flights to regional airports.
Mr Grayling (pictured left) and Boris Johnson (right) were among those at the Cabinet meeting this morning
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-connected and most outward-looking 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 sub-committee, but at a later meeting of the full Cabinet, Mr Johnson apparently restated his opposition.
Supporters say the Heathrow plans (pictured) are the best and most cost-effective option to increase capacity and boost the national economy. But critics say the plans are ‘expensive and complex’ and bad for the environment
The plans for expanding Heathrow Airport have been in development for more than a decade
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 decision-making 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.
One option for the Heathrow development would see the runway built over a widened M25 (computer generated image)
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.