Ignoring call to halt new airports would be ‘electoral carnage’, Sunak warned

Rishi Sunak faces “electoral carnage” if the government rejects its climate advisers’ recommendations on halting airport expansion, a coalition of community groups have warned. The prospect of a renewed political battle around airport growth in various parts of England has been reignited amid concern from campaigners at suggestions the government could reject the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) advice that all such expansions must be halted. While such a move would lead to clashes in the courts, groups such as Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE) warned the Tories would lose more support in “blue wall” constituencies than they stood to gain from any pivot away from green policies. Greenpeace also said it was confident that ignoring the CCC’s advice would make it easier to challenge airport expansion plans in the courts. The government is preparing to reject the CCC finding that there should be no further airport expansions in Britain until a “capacity management framework” for aviation was developed, the Sunday Telegraph claimed. The prime minister is facing pressure from emboldened backbenchers eager to press home the case for airport growth to boost the UK economy. A Department for Transport spokesperson said on Sunday: “Airport growth, and the aviation sector as a whole, has a key role to play in boosting our global connectivity and helping grow the economy. We remain supportive of airport expansion where it can be delivered in a sustainable way.” But while hostility to London’s ultra-low emission zone might have been key to the Tories winning the recent Uxbridge byelection, the party was warned that a temptation to sacrifice climate policies on other fronts would cause a backlash.<br/>