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The Conservative Party will not fight the by-election triggered by its former MP Zac Goldsmith after he quit in protest over plans to expand Heathrow.

Mr Goldsmith resigned from the party on Tuesday after he branded the decision to approve a third runway “catastrophic”.

He said he will stand as an independent candidate when the by-election is contested on a date expected to be in December.

And tonight it was revealed the Conservatives will not field a candidate in the race as the party praised him as a “hard-working champion for the people of Richmond Park”.

There were fears the Liberal Democrats could reclaim the seat they lost in 2010 if the vote was split between Mr Goldsmith and a Conservative hopeful.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "The Government is taking decisive action in the national interest to secure the UK's place in the global aviation market - securing jobs and business opportunities for the next decade and beyond.

"That's why we have delivered on our manifesto commitment to respond to the Airports Commission's final report and have announced our support for the first full-length runway in the South East since the Second World War.

"We disagree with Zac about the need for a by-election in light of this decision, but understand his position.

“He has been a hard-working champion for the people of Richmond Park - as we know he will continue to be if they re-elect him as their Member of Parliament - so we will not be putting up a candidate against him at this by-election."

Heathrow Airport through the years - In pictures 25 show all Heathrow Airport through the years - In pictures 1/25 1978 Welcome to Heathrow Evening Standard 2/25 1936 The entrance to the Great West Aerodrome now Heathrow Airport Daily Mail 3/25 1946 A wartime bomber waits on a runway at what was London Airport, where workmen are laying cinders on a waterlogged section of the airfield. The first plane to take off was a converted Lancaster bomber Getty Images 4/25 1946 Traffic clerk Doreen Haines walking French children along the runway to their plane home Getty Image 5/25 1965 The Queen's Building (left) and the No.1 Building Europa Getty Images 6/25 1962 The scene after Britain had been hit by the worst blizzard since 1947 7/25 1962 The BEA West London Air Terminal on Cromwell Road. The site served as a check-in facility for travellers Getty Images 8/25 1965 Tourists waiting at during the luggage porters' strike Getty Images 9/25 1966 The Beatles just before they set out for America for their 1966 tour Getty Images 10/25 1966 Muhammad Ali waves as he boards his plane Evening Standard 11/25 1969 The Queen, accopanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, views a window shopping display whilst touring the opening of Terminal One at what had been renamed as Heathrow Daily Mail 12/25 1970 A Pan Am Boeing 747 is seen just after landing after its first commercial flight AFP/Getty Images 13/25 1973 Farewell waves from the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as they board an Air Canada aircraft for their tour of Canada Daily Mail 14/25 1975 Thirty-five winners wave good-bye before departing on Concorde's first public passenger flight Getty Images 15/25 1978 An aerial view of Heathrow Airport, terminus and runway, and the surrounding area Evening Standard 16/25 1994 Police officers search for clues on the runway area after a mortar attack by the IRA AFP/Getty Images 17/25 The check-in area for Concorde flights at Heathrow Airport 18/25 A Concorde airplane takes off in 2003 from Heathrow AFP/Getty Images 19/25 2003 Army soldiers on board an armoured personnel carrier (APC) stand guard outside Terminal 2 Getty Images 20/25 2006 Terminal 5 under construction Glenn Copus 21/25 2008 The interior of Terminal 5 just before it opened to passengers Jeremy Selwyn 22/25 2008 And the outside view of T5 Getty Images 23/25 2013 Workers gather for a safety briefing in the new departures area of Terminal 2 24/25 Heathrow Airport in 2016 Hannah McKay/PA 25/25 2019 Air Traffic Control Engineers use screens displaying real-time panoramic views of the runways and docking gates during the trial AFP/Getty Images 1/25 1978 Welcome to Heathrow Evening Standard 2/25 1936 The entrance to the Great West Aerodrome now Heathrow Airport Daily Mail 3/25 1946 A wartime bomber waits on a runway at what was London Airport, where workmen are laying cinders on a waterlogged section of the airfield. The first plane to take off was a converted Lancaster bomber Getty Images 4/25 1946 Traffic clerk Doreen Haines walking French children along the runway to their plane home Getty Image 5/25 1965 The Queen's Building (left) and the No.1 Building Europa Getty Images 6/25 1962 The scene after Britain had been hit by the worst blizzard since 1947 7/25 1962 The BEA West London Air Terminal on Cromwell Road. The site served as a check-in facility for travellers Getty Images 8/25 1965 Tourists waiting at during the luggage porters' strike Getty Images 9/25 1966 The Beatles just before they set out for America for their 1966 tour Getty Images 10/25 1966 Muhammad Ali waves as he boards his plane Evening Standard 11/25 1969 The Queen, accopanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, views a window shopping display whilst touring the opening of Terminal One at what had been renamed as Heathrow Daily Mail 12/25 1970 A Pan Am Boeing 747 is seen just after landing after its first commercial flight AFP/Getty Images 13/25 1973 Farewell waves from the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as they board an Air Canada aircraft for their tour of Canada Daily Mail 14/25 1975 Thirty-five winners wave good-bye before departing on Concorde's first public passenger flight Getty Images 15/25 1978 An aerial view of Heathrow Airport, terminus and runway, and the surrounding area Evening Standard 16/25 1994 Police officers search for clues on the runway area after a mortar attack by the IRA AFP/Getty Images 17/25 The check-in area for Concorde flights at Heathrow Airport 18/25 A Concorde airplane takes off in 2003 from Heathrow AFP/Getty Images 19/25 2003 Army soldiers on board an armoured personnel carrier (APC) stand guard outside Terminal 2 Getty Images 20/25 2006 Terminal 5 under construction Glenn Copus 21/25 2008 The interior of Terminal 5 just before it opened to passengers Jeremy Selwyn 22/25 2008 And the outside view of T5 Getty Images 23/25 2013 Workers gather for a safety briefing in the new departures area of Terminal 2 24/25 Heathrow Airport in 2016 Hannah McKay/PA 25/25 2019 Air Traffic Control Engineers use screens displaying real-time panoramic views of the runways and docking gates during the trial AFP/Getty Images

In a statement tonight, Mr Goldsmith said: "Seven years ago I put myself forward as your Conservative parliamentary candidate. I promised you I would fight the threat of Heathrow expansion, which has been a sword hanging over our community for years.

"I promised you if my party won the election, the third runway would be scrapped. And I wasn't making it up.

"My party Leader - the then leader of the opposition - made that same promise directly to us. He came here and told us; "No ifs, no buts, there will be no third runway."

"It was music to our ears. But not everyone believed him, because people assume the worst in politicians. So I followed his promise with my own. I told you that if my party changed its position, I would trigger a by-election and give you a chance to vote again.

"There was no small print. No expiry date. No ambiguity. It was a simple promise. And it mattered. I know it mattered, because the thought of Heathrow expansion fills most of my constituents with dread.”