A THIRD runway WILL be built at Heathrow Airport in a bid to boost growth, Rachel Reeves announced today.
The Chancellor vowed to make Britain “the world’s best place to do business” as she stared down Net Zero zealots and gave the greenlight to expansion.
EPARachel Reeves today gave the greenlight to Manchester United’s plans for a mega-stadium in a bid to boost growth[/caption]
And Ms Reeves gave the greenlight to a third runway at Heathrow Airport
EPAThe Chancellor set out her plans to finally kickstart growth in Britain’s sluggish economy[/caption]
At a major speech in Oxfordshire, Ms Reeves said: “Heathrow is at the heart of the UK’s openness as a country.
“It connects us to emerging markets all over the world, opening up new opportunities for growth.
“But for decades, its growth has been constrained successive studies have shown that this really matters for our economy.”
The Chancellor declared that a third runway would increase potential GDP growth by 0.4 per cent by 2050 and create 100,000 jobs.
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She insisted over half of that boost would transfer to areas outside of London and the Southeast and would deliver more trade opportunities.
The Chancellor said: “I have always been clear that a third runway at Heathrow would unlock further growth, boost investment, increase exports and make the UK more open.”
Striking down critics of her plan for growth, including London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, Ms Reeves added: “Heathrow themselves are clear that their proposal for expansion will meet strict rules on noise, air quality and carbon emissions.
“And we are already making great strides in transitioning to cleaner and greener aviation.”
There is no timeline for when the third runway could open, but it is likely to be well into the 2030s.
Ms Reeves also gave the thumbs up to expanding Gatwick and Luton Airports.
As The Sun revealed yesterday, Manchester United’s plans for a 100,000-seater mega-stadium was also given the go-ahead by Ms Reeves.
The move residential, transport and entertainment development at Old Trafford will “generate growth” to the tune of £7billion every year.
Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also keen for government support for stadium developments.
And the Chancellor backed a new rail link from Oxford to Cambridge, which will add an estimated £78billion to the economy over the next decade.
OPINION: Sir Keir Starmer is driving brickies to breaking point
By RICHARD TICE, Reform MP and LEE ANDERSON, Reform MP
For all his talk about being the son of a toolmaker, Sir Keir Starmer couldn’t tell a screwdriver from a spanner. The bloke hasn’t got a clue how the construction industry works.
This week, you heard the government’s big plan—1.5 million homes and even a third runway at Heathrow. It might sound great, but Labour’s policies are driving the very workers we need into the ground.
Britain urgently needs more homes, hospitals, schools, and roads. Yet instead of equipping workers with shovels and tools, the PM has handed them pencils and clipboards.
In Sir Keir’s reckless race to climate targets, the construction industry is drowning in skyrocketing costs and endless red tape. The result? Job losses, delayed projects, and a construction industry crumbling under the weight of its own regulations.
Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves – Labour’s resident maths wizard – thinks hiking employer National Insurance is a great idea. Because nothing screams “economic growth” like strangling family-run businesses. These firms, the backbone of Britain’s construction industry, are being crushed under Labour’s anti-growth agenda.
And the workforce? It’s vanishing faster than new houses are appearing. Over the past five years, UK construction has lost 70,000 workers annually, with the average age of those remaining now over 50. Apprenticeship starts have averaged just 31,000 per year, with nearly half dropping out.
If ‘Rachel from Accounts’ did the maths, she’d see this adds up to a net loss of 50,000 people leaving the jobs market every year. Yet Sir Keir expects these dwindling ranks to deliver his Soviet-style building targets. It’s laughable.
Industry leaders like Steve Mulholland of the Construction Plant-hire Association have warned the PM his policies are hammering the sector. But Sir Keir thinks he knows best.
His forensic expertise has already left pensioners freezing at Christmas and farmers blockading his front door. Now, Britain’s builders are next in line for his dose of wisdom.
Labour’s solution? Import more workers. Why bother training Brits when you can call for a quick fix from overseas? At this rate, we’ll have more brickies arriving at Heathrow than passengers on Starmer’s third runway.
As the benefits bill balloons and borrowing hits record levels, Labour continues to prioritise the workshy over the hardworking like they always have done. This madness has to stop.
At Reform UK, we believe blue-collar workers are the backbone of this country. They should be cherished, not punished. And for too long, our education system has funnelled teenagers into pointless degrees that saddle them with lifelong debts and no real job prospects.
Keir Starmer’s promises might look good on paper, but they’re as flimsy as the clipboard he’s handed Britain’s builders.
If this government is serious about growth, it needs to trade soundbites for real blueprints and start listening to those who actually know which end of a hammer to hold.
If not, Britain’s building dream will collapse faster than Jeremy Corbyn’s allotment shed in a storm.
A new railway station at Tempsford, Bedfordshire will also provide connections between the East Coast Main Line and East West Rail.
She pledged to make the “Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor”, the UK’s very own “Silicon Valley”.
New towns with schools and 4,500 additional homes will built in the area to attract artificial intelligence and life sciences talent from across the globe.
And she promised to take on Britain’s over-inflated welfare bill, which has continued ballooning as more and more people claim health and disability benefits.
Ms Reeves also announced a £65m investment for Connected Curb, to expand their electric vehicle charging network across the UK.
And she revealed a £28m equity investment in Cornish metals, providing the raw materials to be used in solar panels.
The Chancellor said: “Low growth is not our destiny but growth will not come without a fight.
“Britain’s potential has been held back for too long. We have accepted low expectations, stagnation and the risk of decline. We can do so much better.
“We are at the forefront of some of the most exciting developments in the world like artificial intelligence and life sciences. We have great companies, delivering jobs and investment in Britain.
“And we have fundamental strengths — in our history, our language, and our legal system — to compete in a global economy.”
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