Has Andy Burnham taken leave of his senses over Heathrow Airport expansion? - Yorkshire Post Letters

What on earth is Andy Burnham doing? Has he taken leave of his senses over Heathrow?

The Government is backing a third runway on the promise of economic growth, yet the environmental and human consequences are enormous.

Yes, the final planning decision has not yet been made. But the Government has backed it in principle, while consulting on a policy framework specifically designed to enable Heathrow expansion, subject to tests on economic growth, climate, air quality and noise.

Will the tests be slanted to deliver the outcome desired by economic growth, while underplaying climate, air quality and noise?

What about the people living beneath the flight paths? More aircraft means more noise, disturbance, pollution and pressure on local infrastructure. What about the additional emissions at a time when climate change is already threatening the natural systems on which our lives depend? More efficient fuel does not mean fewer emissions if there are far more flights.

And what about Burnham’s own previous arguments for spreading prosperity beyond London? Heathrow expansion risks concentrating yet more economic activity around the capital. More growth for Heathrow is built on less growth for regional airports.

Most troubling of all, this looks like another Labour retreat from principles once loudly proclaimed. Those Labour voters who left for the Greens and returned hoping Burnham represented something different may soon be packing their bags again.

Is Burnham repeating Starmer’s mistake — putting an economic calculation above the bigger picture and discovering too late that he has alienated everyone? Doesn’t he realise that favouring big business profits over the wellbeing of ordinary people simply doesn’t cut it?

An economic case is worthless if achieving it means trashing the natural life-support systems that keep us alive.

Burnham is offering hope. A decision like this risks killing hope stone dead.