Anger as Reeves’ support for third Heathrow runway sparks climate backlash

Rachel Reeves has announced she will publish her tax return, less than three hours after saying she doesn’t have any plans to do so.

Asked about the issue after a speech in Oxfordshire on Wednesday, she said: “Chancellors and prime ministers haven’t published their tax returns in the past, and I don’t have any plans to do so.”

But just a few hours later, the Treasury confirmed that she would in fact publish her tax return.It came after Kemi Badenoch’s spokesman suggested that the Conservative leader is waiting to see what Ms Reeves does with her tax returns before a decision is made on her own.

Asked whether Mrs Badenoch would publish her tax returns, the spokesman said: “She is in opposition. And she … waits to see what Rachel Reeves does.”Pushed further on the point, the spokesman later added: “The point is we are in opposition, you can ask me this question when we form a government in four years.”

The RSPB said the chancellor’s announcements put the UK’s climate targets at risk.

Beccy Speight, RSPB chief executive, said: “The rock of stability on which the chancellor’s plans for growth depend has to be a healthy natural environment. Good, long term economic growth, thriving nature and net zero do not have to be at odds, yet some of today’s announcements put our climate targets at risk.

“Offshore wind is critical to addressing climate change and the announcement of new Marine Protected Areas is a positive step towards ensuring renewable energy doesn’t come at the cost of the marine environment.

“To provide investors with the certainty they need and avoid costly delays, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill must deliver an improved system fit for purpose with a strategic approach to development that builds nature into decision-making from the start, rather than pretending it’s a problem to simply be bulldozed out of the way.”

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said he remained opposed to Heathrow expansion because of the “severe impact it will have on noise, air pollution and meeting our climate change targets”.

He said: “Despite the progress that’s been made in the aviation sector to make it more sustainable, I’m simply not convinced that you can have hundreds of thousands of additional flights at Heathrow every year without a hugely damaging impact on our environment.”

Asked whether Sir Sadiq’s opposition made him a “blocker”, a Labour spokesman said: “No, we agree with the Mayor of London that growth must come hand-in-hand with our climate obligations, and that’s why the Chancellor set out that we support a third runway.

“That will be in line with our climate obligations and we look forward to working closely with the mayor throughout the process.”

Rachel Reeves’ backing for a third runway at Heathrow and road schemes, as well as pledges to reform environmental protections, drew an angry backlash.

Critics said a new runway could wipe out the benefits of the Government’s clean power plan by increasing emissions.

And she faced criticism over plans to reform environmental regulations to prevent delays in development.

Shaun Spiers, executive director at environmental think tank Green Alliance, said: “The economic case for bigger airports and new roads is highly questionable, and it’s crystal clear that pushing ahead with these will fly in the face of the UK’s climate targets.”

Rachel Solomon Williams, executive director at the Aldersgate Group of companies, charities and other organisations pushing for ambitious climate and environmental policy, disagreed with the Chancellor’s assessment that environmental protection was obstructing growth.

“Nature is fundamental to the UK’s future prosperity and ensuring that it is protected and restored as part of new development will generate economic growth, increase innovation and create jobs,” she said.

David Walsh, head of public affairs at WWF, said there was “no trade-off” between economic growth and net zero.

“Now is the time to put pounds back in people’s pockets by insulating homes, decarbonising power, and investing in public transport,” he said, warning Ms Reeves was making a “costly mistake” with airport expansions that take decades to build and increase carbon emissions.

Rachel Reeves has confirmed support for the expansion of Heathrow airport, but a number of issues must be resolved if a third runway is to be built.

The chancellor said the government was inviting Heathrow to bring forward proposals for a third runway “by the summer”.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said once these have been received, the Department for Transport will review its Airports National Policy Statement NPS).

She added that the NPS “provides the basis for decision making” on a Development Consent Order (DCO) application submitted by the airport.

The DCO process is expected to last around 18 months and will involve a public consultation on the expansion plan.

The Planning Inspectorate will consider the application and make a recommendation to the Transport Secretary, who will decide whether to grant the DCO.

If the scheme is approved, there is a strong possibility that campaigners will launch judicial reviews of the minister’s decision.

If legal challenges are not brought or are unsuccessful, Heathrow can begin construction.

The Prime Minister has told Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell to “talk to his leader” Kemi Badenoch, after Mr Rosindell referred to “a colossal increase in immigration”.

It comes after ONS figures showed the population of the UK was set to rise to 72. million by 2032.

Referring to the figures, Mr Rosindell said: “Who voted for that? And will the government do something to ensure that the population of this country is sustainable going forward, because there is no mandate for such a colossal increase in immigration in this country?”

Sir Keir Starmer replied: “I think he should talk to his leader, because net migration went through the roof under the last government, nearly one million quadrupled, and who was cheering it on? Who was cheering it on? The Leader of the Opposition.

“His constituents are right to be concerned about the loss of control by the last government, we’re taking control, we will bring these numbers down, but the record is absolutely clear, and it sits right there.”

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey called Sir Keir Starmer to open negotiations to join the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention on regional supply chains.

He said it was more important following the threat to trade posed by Donald Trump’s planned tariffs.

The Liberal Democrat leader said: “If I could turn to economic growth, the Chancellor (Rachel Reeves) has now admitted that we need to go further and faster in the pursuit of economic growth, and we agree, but the Prime Minister knows we believe that means setting aside his objections to a UK-EU customs union so our country can go further and faster in rebuilding our trading relationships with our European neighbours.”

“When he goes to Brussels on Monday, will he confirm to the House that he will open negotiations for the UK to join the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention, so we can start removing the growth-damaging trade barriers set up by the Conservatives?”

Sir Keir replied: “He knows in relation to the reset with the EU, which we’re determined to achieve, that we have clear red lines when it comes to the single market and the customs union, so he knows where we stand on that.”

On Wednesday morning, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a raft of policies to boost economic growth.

They included turning Oxford and Cambridge into “Europe’s Silicon Valley”, while also backing a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

She said the plans are part of her “fight” for economic growth across the UK.

Here we take a look at what the plans will mean for the economy

Now we are hearing from Lib Dem leader Ed Davey who first raises concerns he has over delayed hospital rebuild projects, including in Barnstaple, where he said a surgeon told him the hospital was like a “ticking time-bomb”.

He said the Tory government’s promise to rebuild it was a “hollow promise”, and asked the Sir Keir if Labour will bring the projects, delayed for 10 years, forward.

Sir Keir said: “I think people across the country are right to feel angry and betrayed and frustrated at the last government’s plan – non-plan – on hospitals. It was unachievable, it was unfunded, it was empty promises.

“Under them, these hospitals would never have been built. Our funded plan backed by the investment we’ve put in will deliver them.”

“She is talking absolutely nonsense,” said Sir Keir Starmer as he addressed attacks by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch on the Employment Rights Bill and Labour’s growth plans.

Ms Badenoch said the reforms would mean employees could take their bosses to employment tribunals on day one of a new job.

The Prime Minister said: “I understand she likes straight talking, she is talking absolutely nonsense. She knows that anybody that understands anything about the Bill or any employment law will know you can’t start in the morning and go to the tribunal in the afternoon.”