Boris Johnson could skip Commons vote on Heathrow expansion

Boris Johnson could skip Commons vote on Heathrow expansion

Theresa May insisted an expanded Heathrow airport can be a symbol of post-Brexit Britain today after Cabinet finally gave the green light to the project.

The Prime Minister said the huge project was part of the overhaul needed to ensure the UK can 'thrive' outside the EU.

But despite vowing safeguards including a £2.6billion package to protect residents and the environment, the government is facing a revolt from senior Tories including Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Justine Greening.

A cross-party coalition of MPs is gearing up to try to derail the plan in a Commons vote next month.

Critics warned that the project, which was first mooted more than 15 years ago, amounted to taxpayers signing a 'blank cheque' that would pollute the air and disrupt communities. 

Tory whips fear the result could be close and are expected to order the party's MPs to back the proposal - to the fury of opponents who believe they were promised a free vote.

Speculation has been mounting over the position of the Foreign Secretary, who once pledged to 'lie down in front of bulldozers' to prevent the expansion. 

Defying a three-line whip would normally mean a minister has to resign. 

However, Mr Johnson - whose constituency is close to the flightpath - could simply be out of the country when the vote happens over the coming weeks.

Mrs May has written to ministers to say that those with long-standing objections to a third runway at Heathrow will be permitted to restate their views at a local level, but not to campaign actively against the decision.

In a statement to the Commons this afternoon, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said there would be a £2.6billion compensation fund for environmental measures, compensation for residents, and improvements to local amenities.

'Heathrow is already full and the evidence shows the remaining London airports won't be far behind,' he said. 'Despite being the busiest two-runway airport in the world, Heathrow's capacity constraints means that it is falling behind its global competitors, impacting the UK's economy and global trading opportunities.

'Expansion at Heathrow will bring real benefits across the country including a boost of up to £74 billion to passengers and the wider economy. This is a project with benefits which reach far beyond London.'

Mr Grayling acknowledged the concerns of people living around the airport, but said there was a £2.6billion package for local communities towards the costs of compensation, noise insulation and improvements to public amenities.

He said the scheme - including £700million for noise insulation for homes and £40 million to insulate schools and community buildings - was comparable 'with some of the most generous in the world'.

He said that he also expected to see for the first time a six-and-a-half hour ban on scheduled night flights, and would be encouraging Heathrow and airlines to work with local communities to propose longer periods of respite during a further consultation on night flight restrictions.

'I hope the House will be ready to work together - acting on an issue that is in our shared national interest - in order to create a positive legacy for the future. I hope members will get behind it,' he said.

He said the move signalled 'our commitment to securing global connectivity, creating tens of thousands of local jobs and apprenticeships, and boosting our economy for future generations by expanding Heathrow Airport'.

He added: 'My department has met with local residents and fully understands their strength of feeling but this is a decision taken in the national interest and based on detailed evidence.' 

Mr Grayling batted off questions about whether there would be a free vote, saying it was a matter for individual parties.

But he said he believed there was 'huge support from regional airports and regional business groups for the expansion of Heathrow'. 

Mr Grayling went on: 'This a way of making sure our citizens, the people we represent, the businesses we work in have access to the strategic routes for the future they will need in the post-Brexit world. 

A proposal for expanding the airport was first set out by the Labour government.

But the ideas have since gone through a tortuous process, with many believing the runway will never happen.

Supporters say it is the best and most cost-effective option to increase capacity and boost the national economy.

Critics warn the plan is 'expensive and complex' and bad for the environment, with some saying Gatwick airport should be made larger instead.

Mr Johnson himself previously backed a new development in Kent, h