Zack Polanski slams Heathrow third runway 'great betrayal' as Holborn by-election hots up

Zack Polanski has torn into the Labour Government’s full-blown support for a third runway at Heathrow , branding the project a “great betrayal”.

The Green leader unleashed his criticism of a bigger Heathrow as his party and Labour were both ramping up their campaigns for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on October 8.

Mr Polanski told The Standard: “A third runway at Heathrow would be a great betrayal.

“A betrayal of our climate commitments, a betrayal of communities breathing polluted air, and a betrayal of our children’s future.”

The Government is backing a third runway at Heathrow as part of its plans to get the British economy growing PA Archive Mr Polanski hit out after the Government’s own global warming advisers warned that there is “no credible pathway” for a Heathrow third runway within the UK’s legally-binding climate targets under current policies for cutting aviation emissions.

The UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) also stressed that the Government “does not have a credible plan to reduce” aviation emissions, posing a serious challenge to meeting overall global warming targets.

The advisers argued that expansion of Heathrow airport cannot go ahead unless the aviation industry is forced to clean up its climate emissions.

The cost of international flights might have to increase by hundreds of pounds by 2050, to pay for measures that will help the airline sector cut its carbon pollution to zero overall, known as net zero, the CCC said.

But Government minister Martin McCluskey appeared to brush aside the committee’s warnings.

“Look, I've got a lot of time and respect for the Climate Change Committee, but their advice is exactly that,” he said.

A British Airways plane lands at Heathrow Airport PA Archive Earlier, Chancellor John Healey had given the Government’s backing to a third runway , which will cost an estimated £49 billion, once terminal area improvements, moving the M25 and other investment are included.

The new runway would increase the airport’s to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers a year.

But Mr Polanski stressed: “The Climate Change Committee has told this Government plainly: there is no credible pathway for Heathrow expansion within our climate commitments under current policies.

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