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| Zac Goldsmith quits as MP over 'doomed' Heathrow expansion decision | Zac Goldsmith quits as MP over 'doomed' Heathrow expansion decision |
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| Zac Goldsmith has resigned as Conservative MP for Richmond Park over the government’s “doomed” decision to back a third runway at Heathrow airport, triggering a difficult byelection for Theresa May. | Zac Goldsmith has resigned as Conservative MP for Richmond Park over the government’s “doomed” decision to back a third runway at Heathrow airport, triggering a difficult byelection for Theresa May. |
| Goldsmith is expected to stand as an independent candidate in the south-west London seat, creating a dilemma for the Tories about whether to stand a candidate against him. | Goldsmith is expected to stand as an independent candidate in the south-west London seat, creating a dilemma for the Tories about whether to stand a candidate against him. |
| The seat was only recently held by the Liberal Democrats, who are against expansion at Heathrow and in favour of EU membership, giving them a fighting chance against the pro-Brexit Goldsmith despite his local popularity. | The seat was only recently held by the Liberal Democrats, who are against expansion at Heathrow and in favour of EU membership, giving them a fighting chance against the pro-Brexit Goldsmith despite his local popularity. |
| Earlier, Goldsmith told the House of Commons that Heathrow was “doomed” and would be a “millstone around the neck of the government” after the decision to proceed was hailed as “momentous” by Chris Grayling, the transport secretary. | |
| Goldsmith, who ran as the Conservative candidate for London mayor earlier this year, is a senior figure in the party. | |
| He is the only Tory so far to resign over the decision to back Heathrow’s expansion, after Boris Johnson and Justine Greening were given permission by May to stay in their cabinet jobs while continuing to criticise a third runway. | |
| Johnson, the foreign secretary and former London mayor, said the Heathrow plan was “undeliverable”, while Greening, the education secretary, said she was “extremely disappointed”. | |
| However, Goldsmith’s resignation will be more of a headache forthe prime minister, who can hardly afford to lose a Conservative seat with such a slim working majority of just 16. | |
| Goldsmith has not personally made a statement yet but the byelection was triggered as Philip Hammond, the chancellor, appointed him steward and bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern. | |
| Earlier on Tuesday, the government said the decision to expand Heathrow and the construction of the first full-length runway in the south-east since the second world war would be a major boost to the UK economy. | |
| Grayling said it was vital to keeping Britain open for business and that the economic benefits would be worth up to £61bn, as well as creating up to 77,000 additional local jobs. | |
| May’s official spokeswoman said the view of the airport subcommittee had been unanimous in favour of Heathrow and that there was no further discussion at full cabinet. She told the cabinet it was a vital decision that had been ducked for too long. | |
| However, the decision is likely to cause friction within the Conservative party. Speaking in Westminster, Johnson highlighted the threat of four Tory-led councils to launch legal action against plans for Heathrow expansion. | |
| Johnson, who has previously said he would lie down in front of the bulldozers to stop Heathrow being built, said: “I think the day when the bulldozers actually appear is a long way off, if indeed they ever materialise to build that third runway. | |
| “My view is the whole proceeding will be snarled up in legal objections of one kind or another and I just really repeat my point: do we want the greatest city on earth, parts of it, to be transformed into a hell of airport noise? I don’t think we do. I think there are far better solutions. As long as I am able to, I am respectfully going to make that point.” | |
| May’s own local council, Windsor and Maidenhead, is one of those signalling it will be prepared to fight the decision in court. “Our campaign against Heathrow expansion with councils in Hillingdon, Richmond and Wandsworth and Greenpeace continues and we will take whatever action is necessary to stop this decision on behalf of the 1 million residents we represent,” said Simon Dudley, the leader of the council. | |
| The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, also said he might help challenge the Heathrow decision through the courts, along with councils that are considering their options. | |
| “I am exploring how I can best be involved in any legal process over the coming months,” he said. “Most urgently, the government must set out how it’s possible for Londoners not to suffer from the additional air and noise pollution that we know will be created by an additional runway at Heathrow.” | |
| Announcing its backing for the third runway, the government has said it would propose a six-and-a-half-hour ban on scheduled night flights, and will make more stringent night noise restrictions a requirement of expansion. It will also propose new legally binding noise targets. The scheme will now be taken forward in the form of a draft national policy statement, which will be consulted on in the new year. | |
| However, widespread protests and legal challenges are expected to follow the decision, with campaigners to focus on air quality, noise and Britain’s climate change commitments. The runway, which could be built by 2025, would lead to almost 50% more planes over London, bringing new neighbourhoods under the flightpath. |