George Osborne warns Theresa May to get on with expanding Heathrow and said we need to finally build new runways
Former Chancellor said there was no point talking about going global 'when we don’t have the airports to land the planes'
GEORGE Osborne has warned Theresa May to get on with expanding Heathrow as he said the country had “dragged its heels” on airport expansion for decades.
The former Chancellor said there was no point talking about going global “when we don’t have the airports to land the planes”.
He added: “If you’re serious about being economically productive you need to go ahead and build runways.”
Speaking to a Select Committee on industrial strategy, the senior Tory added his constituency was the last to see a new runway, when Manchester Airport built a second one on 2000.
Mr Osborne is known to have been one of the biggest cheerleaders for airport expansion when he was in Number 11.
The Cameron Government repeatedly delayed a decision on whether to green light a new runway at either Heathrow or Gatwick.
David Cameron originally vowed to announce which airport would be allowed to build a new runway by the end of 2015. It was then delayed again until after the London Mayoral Elections in May.
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Mr Osborne told MPs: “Well I think the country has collectively over several decades dragged its heels over airport expansion.
“And at least the Cameron Government has set us up for a decision on Heathrow or Gatwick but we have to take it as a country.
“You see the immediate communities affected by runways are the people who shout loudest. But Governments that are serious about being economically productive need to go ahead and build runways.
“We can’t say we’re going to be trading with the rest of the world when we don’t have airports for the planes to land on.”
A decision on airport expansion has been delayed for months, but a spokesman for Number 10 confirmed yesterday an announcement would be made "in October".
The Sun says the sky’s the limit
THERESA May must think big post-Brexit, starting with this month’s airports decision.
It shouldn’t be a toss-up between expanding Heathrow or Gatwick.
She should choose both, along with a huge investment in their transport links.
What a signal that would send to the world about our openness for business and our confidence in Britain’s future as an independent trading nation.
Heathrow is the trickier call, with far more physical and legal obstacles.
But it is the most likely to get the nod from MPs and was the choice of the Davies Commission which looked at all options.
But Gatwick should get the go-ahead too. It can be built more quickly and without any taxpayers’ money.
Sounds good to us, PM.