Kemi Badenoch has said she “certainly would” back a third runway being built at Heathrow Airport.
The Conservative Party leader told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that she has supported the expansion of the UK’s largest airport in the past, and would not change her mind on doing so.
“I’ve had to vote on this before, and I voted in support of the third runway,” Ms Badenoch, whose North West Essex constituency includes London Stansted Airport, said.
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“I know that it is very difficult for a lot of people when there’s an airport in your area. I know, because I’m the MP for an airport as well. I have never opposed growth or development.
“What I want to do is make sure it’s done in the right way.”
Ms Badenoch added that if the airport thinks it is able to deliver a third runway that meets all the criteria it has set, then we should “do the right thing”.
“We are talking about the future,” she said, adding: “I think that we need to make sure that we deliver infrastructure. I voted for it before, so why would I change my mind?”
It comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves has reportedly been considering the expansion of the west London hub, as well as Gatwick and Luton airports.
Ms Reeves once again refused to comment on speculation that she could back a third runway when grilled by Phillips, but didn’t rule it out completely.
Asked if this will form part of her plan to kickstart growth, Ms Reeves said: “I’m not going to comment on speculation.
“But you have seen this week… is that we’re going to make it easier to get stuff built in Britain, whether that’s transport infrastructure, energy infrastructure or indeed housing.
“For too long, governments have backed the blockers and not the builders, and that’s going to change.”
She added that the government will “make announcements about investments when we are ready to”.
Plans to expand Heathrow Airport have caused controversy for years.
Despite being given parliamentary approval in 2018, plans have since been delayed by legal challenges and the COVID pandemic.
Environmental groups furiously opposed the plans earlier this week.
Jenny Bates, transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth, called the proposal for another runway at Heathrow “hugely irresponsible in the midst of a climate emergency”.
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While Alethea Warrington, from climate charity Possible, said: “Approving airport expansions would be a catastrophic misstep for a government which claims to be a climate leader.”
A spokesperson for Heathrow previously told Sky News that it would not comment on reporting about a third runway but said “growing the economy means adding capacity at the UK’s hub airport, which is full”.
It added it was “looking at potential options to deliver a third runway at Heathrow in line with strict tests on carbon, noise and air quality”.
