Business groups urge Boris Johnson to drop opposition to Heathrow third runway
Business groups have urged the new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to drop his apparent opposition to Heathrow’s third runway.
In a letter to Johnson, business firms including the CBI and British Chamber of Commerce warned that a failure to support the £14bn scheme would “prevent us all from successfully building a global Britain”.
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Johnson famously pledged to lie in front of bulldozers to prevent the third runway from being built, but he missed a key vote in parliament in which MPs overwhelmingly backed the project.
His constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip stands to be significantly affected by the expansion plans.
During his leadership campaign Johnson said he had “grave reservations” about plans to expand the airport, which are currently subject to a legal challenge from the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and several councils and campaigners over air quality and noise concerns.
Earlier this week they were granted permission to appeal an earlier ruling that dismissed their judicial reviews of the government’s decision to wave through the plans.
Johnson has said he will watch the court cases closely.
In the letter, seen by Sky News, the businesses describe the third runway as “an essential project that will boost British exports and support our construction and engineering sectors, helping the UK’s economy prosper”.
“With Brexit approaching, it is critical the UK remains ambitious and outward-looking,” they wrote.
“Expansion also presents a significant opportunity for the UK to increase its export capacity and trading routes.
“As the UK’s only major hub airport, Heathrow provides businesses with connectivity to almost any market in the world. With up to 40 new routes and the doubling of cargo capacity, expansion will mean we are able to put more British goods on shelves across the globe.”
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A Heathrow spokesperson said: “This letter shows the strong support from businesses up and down UK, all of which are eager to experience the economic benefits of an expanded Heathrow.
“The successful delivery of what is set to be Europe’s largest, privately-funded infrastructure project will send a clear signal to the world that Britain is a modern, well-connected and exciting place to do business. We look forward to working with the new Prime Minister and secretary of state, alongside major business groups who are keen to see progress in this vital infrastructure project.”
Main image credit: Getty