To take on Reform, Labour needs growth. That starts with Heathrow
YouGov’s latest poll puts Reform ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives. While many in Labour seem content to brush off Farage’s party as nothing more than a phase, the momentum Reform is gathering should send a shiver down the political establishment’s spine. If Labour is serious about preventing Reform from gaining an even stronger foothold, it must prove it can deliver growth for Britain. Expediting the building of a third runway at Heathrow would be the first step to show Labour are serious about delivering.
Reform’s success was clear for all to see before it began polling above Labour and the Tories. Securing more than four million votes in a general election is no small feat for any party, let alone one so young as Reform. This is when alarm bells should have been ringing. Instead, Labour decided to cover its ears and drown out the protests of the British people. Now, with Reform polling at 26%, there are many who are worried it is the end for Labour.
There is a way back, however. As many of its own MPs are now admitting, Labour must go for growth. Reform’s own view supports this. A Reform spokesperson said their recent popularity has come as a result of “ordinary folk” being “poorer” under Labour. With employment figures down, economic growth forecasts wobbling between 0 and 0.1% and a rise in economic inactivity, the British public want reassurance Labour can get the economy moving in the right direction.
Reeves’ recent ‘growth speech’ has reassured many Labour has what it takes to grow the country’s finances. Perhaps the most significant proposal was the government’s support of a third runway at Heathrow, which means more flights, more trade, more jobs and more investment. In other words, a third runway is exactly what Britain needs.
According to official Department for Transport models, a new runway could bring in more than £10 billion to the British economy every decade. Combine this with the creation of more than 100,000 jobs and an extra 240,000 annual flights and the benefits are undeniable. If Heathrow’s third runway gets approved and built, the British economy will grow.
With so many roadblocks in her way, Reeves must show strong leadership. NIMBYs, environmentalists, and even Sadiq Khan are readying their legal arsenal to take the fight to the government. As things stand, even Reeves’ own optimistic timeline, which assumes no delays due to legal obstacles or other challenges, assumes it will take more than a decade before planes can take off from Heathrow’s third runway.
“We’re already dusting off our plans” were the words of some legal activists who are keen to derail the government’s agenda. With the government staring down the barrel of a lengthy legal battle, Reeves should shield the expansion from judicial review. In doing so, she can ensure the British economy takes off. If a judicial review bid is successful, construction and economic growth will be delayed for years.
She should also look to exempt the construction process from burdensome climate rules. A one-time exemption will speed up the construction process and prevent the government from being dragged into an environmental mud-slinging match where the real loser is the taxpayer. Labour must deliver on its pledge to spur economic growth across the country. If it falls short, especially if Reform can pin its failures on net-zero, Farage will be handed unlimited ammunition to take aim at the political establishment.
Starmer and Reeves have an obligation to their party and to the British public. Labour must prove when the public elects it, it can deliver on what it promised. It has failed thus far. But that does not mean it will continue to fail. The chancellor has seemingly committed to growth. A third runway at Heathrow may be a small first step, but it is a chance for the chancellor to show she is serious about growth.
Oliver Dean is a political commentator with Young Voices UK. He studies History and Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where he is the Treasurer of the LSE Hayek Society.
