Boris’s Heathrow runway problem returns

It looked like the courts had solved Boris Johnson’s third Heathrow runway problem when they ruled it illegal in February because of the actions the government is committed to on climate change. But this morning, the Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeals’ decision. This means that Heathrow can now seek planning permission for a third runway.

There’s a long way from seeking planning permission to the bulldozers, which Johnson has promised to lie down in front of, moving in. There will undoubtedly be more legal challenges and court cases before this is finally resolved one way or the other; the government first backed a third runway at Heathrow when Gordon Brown was still prime minister.

From Johnson’s point of view, Heathrow is a particularly tricky issue. He has promised to oppose it so often, it is very hard to see how he could see it go ahead on his watch.