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Tory minister Greg Hands has resigned from the government to vote against expanding Heathrow Airport.

The Trade Minister is the first member of Theresa May's top team to announce he will quit ahead of a crunch vote on the £14bn third runway plan this coming Monday.

He tweeted: "I wrote to the PM earlier this week on how I will... vote against the Heathrow 3rd runway.

"As the Government will be whipping the vote on Monday, this means I am resigning from the Government.

"It has been an honour to serve the Prime Minister (and her predecessor) for the last 7 years and I wish the PM & the Government every continuing success."

Mr Hands, MP for Chelsea & Fulham, is one of a string of Tory MPs whose constituency lies under the London airport's flight path.

(Image: PA) (Image: PA)

Theresa May will order Tory MPs to back Heathrow expansion - but many with seats near Heathrow are expected to rebel.

Boris Johnson is among top Tories who campaigned against a bigger airport, once vowing to lie down in front of the bulldozers.

But the Foreign Secretary is expected to conveniently be away on business in Luxembourg when the vote takes place.

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That means Boris won't have to follow the convention of 'collective responsibility' where if a minister votes against the government, they have to resign.

Heathrow's plans for a third runway were finally approved by the Tory Cabinet earlier this month after years of dither and delay.

(Image: REUTERS) (Image: PA)

Despite Tory rebels, the plan is likely to pass - because pro-expansion Labour MPs are being given free rein to back Theresa May's government.

The party revealed yesterday it is officially against the £14bn third runway because it fails four tests on the environment, noise, boosting capacity and helping the regions.

Yet Labour MPs will be allowed to vote whichever way they like in a House of Commons showdown next week.

Jeremy Corbyn had also feared a rebellion, because many Labour MPs and powerful unions want a bigger airport for jobs and industry.