Most voters – and Londoners – back third runway at Heathrow
Almost half of the British electorate back a third runway at Heathrow airport, with Londoners among the biggest supporters, according to fresh research.
City AM/Freshwater Strategy polling has shown that 46 per cent of voters support a new runway at Heathrow. The data revealed that 20 per cent opposed the expansion, while 32 per cent were neutral.
The level of support rose to 63 per cent when London was isolated from the national data, although the sample size was smaller.
More Labour, Conservative, Reform UK and Liberal Democrat voters back a third runway than oppose it. The proportion of Green voters against the project is marginally smaller than the share of those who back it.
An expansion at Europe’s second busiest airport has been up in the air for the best part of 80 years having been first proposed in as early as 1946, historians have noted.
Sir Keir Starmer’s government made green-lighting the expansion one of the key levers for driving growth, but Andy Burnham has cast doubt on the plans since entering Number 10, refusing to say whether he backed the expansion last month.
Transport officials are preparing a national policy statement that will outline details for the expansion and conditions set on local authorities and Heathrow.
MPs will then be required to vote on the document’s terms, which will present the framework for any application made by Heathrow. A formal planning application can only be made once the framework has been decided.
Heathrow expansion can ‘create jobs and boost growth’
Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said investors wanted a full commitment from the new government by the end of the year.
Burnham has avoided offering his endorsement to the project, which is opposed by London mayor Sadiq Khan on environmental grounds. Some ministers, including Dan Tomlinson in the Treasury, have looked to ease concerns over a rejection by saying the government backed an expansion.
Heathrow chiefs have stressed that the new runway could create 100,000 new jobs and lead to wider economic benefits across the country even as government analysis downgraded its initial growth impact assessment.
The runway is only expected to be completed around 2039 under the current pace.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We know from consistent polling over the last decade that communities support our plans for expansion, and support is only growing over time. But critically, expanding Heathrow is a national project which will create jobs and boost growth in every part of the country.
“That’s why it is supported by trade unions, business groups, airports and communities across the UK and why we need to crack on with delivering it as quickly as possible.”