Third runway at Heathrow Airport would drive growth, Healey says

Chancellor John Healey has said building a third runway at Heathrow Airport has "always been a case for growth" after Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to say if he backed the expansion.

Healey said airport expansion, including at Heathrow, had been "a big part of jobs and growth" in recent decades, speaking at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Bangkok.

His comments came after Prime Minister Andy Burnham was more sceptical, telling the BBC last month it was "a matter for London and Londoners".

Healey's predecessor Rachel Reeves had put the airport's expansion at the centrepiece of an argument that Britain was open for business.

Earlier this week Heathrow's chief executive Thomas Woldbye warned that not building a third runway at the UK's busiest airport would be a "huge missed opportunity".

Healey told reporters: "The case for a third runway at Heathrow has always been a case for growth."

He added: "The formal position now is that the consultation is closed, led by the Transport Department.

"We're reviewing those, and then further decisions and announcements will follow."

The third runway been debated for decades, with the project facing opposition from residents, politicians and climate campaigners.

Last year, Reeves announced the government-backed expansion, saying "a third runway is badly needed", and the government could not "duck the decision any longer".

Asked about the project in September, Burnham suggested it was an argument for London to decide.

"I think we ought to hear the voice of people there first. It's not right for me to just jump straight in on the back of the consultation," he added.