Cabinet locked in bitter row as Ed Miliband and key ally try to block £49billion plans for third runway at Heathrow
By GABRIEL MILLARD-CLOTHIER, POLITICAL REPORTER and DAN HODGES, DAILY MAIL COLUMNIST
Published: | Updated:
A bitter Cabinet row has broken out over the proposed expansion of Heathrow airport.
Sources have told The Mail on Sunday that the Transport Secretary, Chancellor and Business Secretary are all in favour of the £49billion project.
But Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and his protegee Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Energy Secretary, have made clear their opposition to the expansion and have triggered the blazing row at the heart of the Government.
In September, Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to back the proposed third runway – even though it was approved by his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, and then Chancellor Rachel Reeves last year to boost growth.
There are now said to be deep splits emerging between those in favour of green issues and those who want to push for growth instead.
One senior Labour source slapped down Mr Miliband, saying: 'Ed's the Foreign Secretary so it's not really his lookout.'
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is said to be particularly keen on the runway, and sources say she has pushed for the PM to make a 'swift decision'.
Insiders have told the MoS that Ms Alexander spent her entire 30-minute slot with Mr Burnham at the Cabinet 'away day' at Chequers to lobby him to approve the development against the wishes of other Cabinet ministers.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has made clear his opposition to a Heathrow runway expansion, triggering a blazing row at the heart of the Government
Ed Miliband's ally Miatta Fahnbulleh (pictured, left, with Chancellor John Healey in July) also opposes the £49billion project
One source close to her said: 'From Heidi's perspective it's a case of 'woman wants to get on with the job'.'
Critics say this is the latest edition of a familiar split in Cabinet of the environment versus the economy.
Whether to push ahead with data centres is another 'crunch point'. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Chancellor John Healey are keen to develop the centres and big solar farms needed for AI technology, according to insiders. But the plans face significant local and national opposition.
Last month, the MoS revealed a clash between Ms Fahnbulleh and Downing Street over whether to approve the Rosebank oil field. One No10 source said 'we are too broke for Net Zero'.
The proposed Heathrow expansion will see a 3,500-metre runway increase capacity to 150 million passengers a year.
In January last year Mr Burnham, then Manchester mayor, branded it a 'model for an ever-overheating UK economy', warning that it could not come at the 'expense of essential investment in northern infrastructure'.
And he is said to have cast doubts about it in private meetings with MPs. In September, one Labour MP said: 'He said he's never been in favour of Heathrow expansion, but he's not indicated one way or another what he will do now.'
Critics have raised concerns that the PM is too 'out of his depth' on this issue to make up his mind.
A Whitehall source told the MoS on Saturday night: 'He was mayor of Manchester not that long ago and this is a different kettle of fish.
'The scale of this is like nothing he's ever seen. It's not about Manchester any more and he just needs the space to get his head around it.'
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