BBC News
Theo Leggett
27 January 2025
This is a key week for the government and its pledge to grow the UK economy.
On Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announce plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport as part of measures to propel investment and kick some life into Britain's lacklustre performance.
Growth, Reeves will reiterate, is the priority.
However opponents claim expanding the airport would lead to higher emissions and blight local communities with extra noise and pollution. Last week, Friends of the Earth said it would be "hugely irresponsible in the midst of a climate emergency".
But is expanding the country's biggest airport the right way to bring an immediate boost to the economy in any case?
In terms of actual spades in the ground at Heathrow, the short answer is no.
Read on: Heathrow: Will a third airport runway help UK growth? - BBC News