Ed Miliband, the UK's Energy Secretary, has declared he will not resign if the Labour Party supports a third runway at Heathrow Airport, despite his previous vocal opposition to the project. While Miliband maintains his commitment to the government's clean energy agenda, London Mayor Sadiq Khan continues to oppose the expansion, citing concerns about climate change and air pollution. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to endorse the plan, raising questions about the stance of other Cabinet members.
Ed Miliband has stated that he will not resign if Labour Party endorses a third runway at Heathrow Airport, despite his previous opposition to the project. The Energy Secretary, who was a vocal critic of the plans when he served as party leader, dismissed the notion of him resigning as 'ridiculous'. However, London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan indicated that he will persist in his opposition to the scheme, warning that a third runway is incompatible with safeguarding the planet.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is anticipated to utilize a speech on economic growth next week to support the plan, as well as expansions at Gatwick and Luton airports. Her endorsement has prompted questions regarding whether her fellow Cabinet members will align with the plan or oppose the expansion of the west London airport. Seven Cabinet members, including Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Miliband, and Environment Secretary Steve Reed, have previously voted against the scheme. Mr Miliband was anticipated to be the most vocal government critic, but he insists he will not step down over the government's decision yesterday. When asked if he would consider resigning if the plans proceed, he stated: 'Don't be ridiculous, no. Ed Miliband (pictured) has said he will not resign if Labour backs a third runway at Heathrow despite his previous opposition. An Airbus A380 flying over houses near Heathrow. An artist's impression of how the expanded Heathrow site could look 'The entire government is focused, and I'm focused, on delivering our clean energy mission as part of what we need to do as a country, as part of the Prime Minister's mission and as part of meeting our economic growth mission - our number one priority.' Mr Miliband's refusal to pledge his resignation marks a departure from his past stance on a third runway. He previously revealed that he nearly resigned from former prime minister Gordon Brown's cabinet in protest at the plans. When he became Labour leader in 2010, he ended Labour's support for Heathrow's expansion. In 2018, he stated that he would vote against the plans, saying 'we owe it to future generations not just to have good environmental principles but to act on them'. Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, who secured a third term in 2024 after pledging to oppose the expansion of London's airports, stated his views 'haven't changed'. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to use a speech on growth next week to support the plan, as well as an expansion of Gatwick and Luton. Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, who won a third term in 2024 after saying he would oppose the expansion of London’s airports, said his views ‘haven’t changed’. Read More Labour civil war on Heathrow ramps up as Sadiq Khan insists he still opposes third runway He told the London Assembly: 'What Londoners know and the Government knows is the aviation sector is important for growth, jobs and prosperity, but we face a climate crisis and a climate emergency.' He added: 'The three big concerns that would need to be addressed if, in the hypothetical case, the speculation was to become a reality, is could a new runway be built that abides with carbon targets, concerns around noise pollution, and concerns around air pollution? 'Should that speculation become a reality, we'll of course consider the merits of that case. 'But I'm quite clear, my views on the expansion of Heathrow by a new runway haven't changed.
HEATHROW AIRPORT EXPANSION LABOUR PARTY ED MILIBAND Sadiq KHAN CLIMATE CHANGE AVIATION UK POLITICS
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Being boring won Labour an election - it won't help them nowAusterity's not an option - Labour needs creativity to overcome the gloom
Read more »
Starmer Faces Friction with Trump and Miliband's PoliciesThe article discusses the strained relationship between UK Labour leader Keir Starmer, his government, and incoming US President Donald Trump. It criticizes Ed Miliband's energy policy and highlights the potential conflict with Trump's views. The author also points to wasteful spending by Labour ministers and questions their commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Read more »
David Miliband lobbies for Mandelson's job as Trump team pressures PM to drop himThe Prime Minister is under growing pressure from Donald Trump’s team to drop Lord Mandelson as his candidate
Read more »
Ed Miliband: 'Unstoppable' Net Zero Transition Despite Trump's Climate U-TurnLabour's Ed Miliband insists the world's shift to Net Zero is 'unstoppable' despite Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement. Miliband, the Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, appeared before the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee and said that while the transition is accelerating, it needs to happen faster.
Read more »
Miliband: World's Net Zero Transition 'Unstoppable' Despite Trump's Climate MoveLabour's Ed Miliband insists the global shift to Net Zero is 'unstoppable' even as Donald Trump withdraws the US from the Paris climate agreement. Miliband acknowledges the world isn't moving fast enough but highlights the global momentum towards renewable energy.
Read more »
Miliband: World's Net Zero Transition is 'Unstoppable' Despite Trump's Paris Agreement WithdrawalLabour's Ed Miliband maintains that the global shift to Net Zero emissions is unstoppable, even though Donald Trump has once again withdrawn the US from the Paris climate agreement. Miliband's statement comes despite concerns that major polluters like China, India, and the US are lagging behind the UK's commitment to climate leadership.
Read more »