BBC News
29 January 2025
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that the government backs a third runway for Heathrow Airport
During a major speech on economic growth, she says the runway is "badly needed" and could create 100,000 jobs
But the chancellor accepts this is just the start of a long process, writes our chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman
Reeves says she has been "genuinely shocked" at how slow the wider planning system is - adding developers should be able to stop worrying about "the bats and the newts"
