Healey backs pro-growth case for Heathrow third runway after Burnham ducks issue
John Healey has argued there is a strong growth case for building a third runway at Heathrow, setting out a more positive view than Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has avoided backing the project. The government says it will consider responses to a recently closed public consultation before deciding what to do.
The proposed runway is a £33bn project, and Heathrow’s chief executive has warned that investors may reconsider their support if the prime minister does not back it. The airport’s owners are expected to decide in the coming months whether to seek formal planning permission; Healey voted for the runway in 2018. His comments came as he prepared the 28 October budget, after the IMF urged him to maintain efforts to reduce the deficit.
- Healey says Heathrow’s third runway has a case for growth.
- Burnham has not publicly backed the project.
- Investors may reconsider support for the £33bn plan.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue a third runway could expand capacity at the UK’s busiest airport, improve international connections and support trade, investment and jobs. They see Healey’s growth case as a reason to give the £33bn proposal serious consideration, while noting that the government can weigh consultation responses before deciding.
The case against
Sceptics can argue that a £33bn expansion carries substantial financial and planning risks, and that claimed growth benefits should be weighed against the project’s costs and wider impacts. They may also see the prime minister’s caution as appropriate while consultation responses are considered, rather than committing government support before a decision is made.
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