Green light will cost Labour seats across country, say MPs

LABOUR MPs today warned that giving the green light to a third runway would ruin the party's green credentials for decades and lead to the loss of swathes of seats at the next election.

Backbenchers in and around the capital are urging ministers to stage one last attempt to delay the plans at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting, where the crunch decision is expected to be made.

Some hope leading rebels Ed Miliband, Hilary Benn and Harriet Harman would win a further postponement to consider the scheme's impact on noise and pollution.

But with Downing Street sources insisting a statement is due this Thursday, most MPs were pessimistic that Gordon Brown would change his mind and many predicted that Labour would suffer long-term damage to its environmental reputation as well as losing seats in west London.

Martin Salter, the Reading West MP, said: "A third runway fails three important tests. On air quality, the air is so bad around Heathrow that we are already breaching our obligations under EU legislation. Secondly, the Government promised in 2003 to sort out road transport nearby and it still hasn't. Third is the environmental test Labour's credibility is on the line.

"If ministers think this is the end of the matter, they are living in cloud cuckoo land. A legal challenge will follow immediately and there will be continuous protests."

Andrew Slaughter, MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush, led two deputations of Labour backbenchers to see Mr Brown last autumn. He said: "Our last chance is a robust discussion in Cabinet."

John McDonnell, whose Hayes and Harlington constituency will be most hard hit by the new runway, said: "Gordon seems to be literally bulldozing this through. We will lose seats not just in London but across the country in those marginals with majorities with less than a thousand votes.

"Those who view the environment as an important issue will turn against us."

John Grogan, the Selby MP whose Commons motion against a third runway attracted 57 Labour MPs, said: "Backbenchers are hoping Ed Miliband, Hilary Benn and Harriet Harman will be bold tomorrow and argue the long-term case against a third runway. If they don't we will regret that not just environmentally, but also politically."