Healey breaks with Burnham and backs Heathrow third runway, saying 'the case has always been a case for growth'

Chancellor John Healey has come out in favour of the £33bn Heathrow third runway project, putting himself at odds with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has repeatedly declined to endorse it. At the IMF's annual meetings in Bangkok, Healey told reporters that airports have been "a big part of jobs and growth" and argued that the expansion's pro-growth credentials are plain. Burnham has indicated the matter should be left to "London and Londoners" and is reported to have told Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander he is "unconvinced" by arguments for the megaproject.

Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye has cautioned that without the PM's backing, investors may withdraw their support for the project.

The airport's owners — among them the Qatar Investment Authority, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC — face an imminent decision on whether to lodge a formal planning application.

Healey's predecessor Rachel Reeves made Heathrow expansion a centrepiece of her growth agenda, saying it would make Britain 'the world's best-connected place to do business'.