Former chancellor says there is ‘overwhelming economic case’ for extra runway at Britain’s largest airport

The expansion of Heathrow airport has received its most explicit endorsement from a major Westminster political figure since the Airports Commission reported in 2015, after the former chancellor George Osborne said the economic case to build at the west London airport instead of Gatwick was “overwhelming”.

While Osborne has long been thought to back Heathrow, ministers had carefully maintained the line that either of London’s biggest airports could be expanded, despite the commission’s recommendation.

In a series of tweets, Osborne said it was time for a decision and it had to be Heathrow, to connect with the “northern powerhouse” and ensure the UK was open to global trade.

He added: “If we want Britain to be outward-looking, free-trading and global, we must expand the great airport that connects us to that world & that trade.”

Osborne, who has been careful to avoid public interventions since leaving government after the EU referendum in June, said Heathrow expansion should be prioritised over Gatwick “or else, in practice, nothing will get built”.

“Time for a decision on airports and go for Heathrow,” the Conservative MP said. “Economic case overwhelming; connects Northern Powerhouse; ensures Britain is open to world.”

He added: “We can consider Gatwick expansion. But not at the expense of Heathrow – and not in parallel – or else, in practice, nothing will get built.”

A decision from the government on whether to build a third runway at Heathrow or a second runway at Gatwick is expected as early as next Tuesday.

While no date has been confirmed, a cabinet subcommittee led by the prime minister, Theresa May, is widely believed to be meeting on 18 October to finally respond to the commission’s report. The commission, led by Sir Howard Davies, was established under the coalition government more than four years ago, and gave a “clear and unanimous” verdict in favour of building a third Heathrow runway soon after the last election.



The runway would cost an estimated £17.6bn, plus at least £5bn to constuct new road and rail links outside the perimeter, the funding for which remains unresolved. The airport hopes it could build its runway by 2025.

However, ministers have since almost entirely referred to Davies’s shortlist, delivered in 2013, which included a £7.1bn second runway at Gatwick airport as well as the Heathrow hub scheme, an alternative £13.5bn proposal for Heathrow to expand an existing runway.

Last week, Heathrow was boosted by a memorandum of understanding signed with the Scottish government, which gave its backing to the third runway plan in return for guarantees over flights.

But while the west London hub has the backing of trade unions, business, airlines and many MPs around Britain from all parties, expansion has proved politically toxic in London, with MPs in nearby seats – including cabinet ministers such as Justine Greening and May herself – representing constituents who are vehemently opposed to a new runway.

That led to Gatwick returning to the frame, with the West Sussex airport consistently stressing that Heathrow was politically undeliverable.

Any decision next week may prove only the start of a new battle. Legal challenges from nearby councils and environmental groups are expected, as well as protests. Many in the government are believed to think, like Osborne, that there is an urgency to expand, especially post-Brexit. But a consultation will follow that could highlight unresolved concerns over air quality, flight paths, surface access costs and night flights.

Gatwick has said it will stand by even if Heathrow gets the go-ahead, in expectation that plans for a new runway may once again collapse before spades are in the ground.