Will Corbyn, Khan and McDonnell cause a Labour split on Heathrow?

Heathrow expansion is one key policy area that is affected by the recent Labour elections. Sadiq Khan’s victory in the London mayoral nomination contest means that the London Labour party will be campaigning against a third runway. Tessa Jowell was tentatively pro-Heathrow but Khan made a pledge during the campaign to oppose a third runway — one that he would find it very hard to renege on. And assuming the bookies are right and Zac Goldsmith is selected as the Conservative candidate, all of the London mayoral candidates will be campaigning against Heathrow expansion (the Greens and Lib Dems are also likely to be against it).

The Labour party overall is heading in an anti-Heathrow direction, thanks to the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader. Labour had cautiously backed the Airports Commission’s proposals but Corbyn told the Independent that a third runway would lead to ‘massive increases’ in air and noise pollution:

‘We should be ensuring our existing national and regional airports are linked effectively by public transport and work together to maximise existing capacity and help spread economic benefits across the country’