Former Reform UK deputy leader Ben Habib has branded Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s support for a third runway at Heathrow Airport “performative politics”, claiming she has no “serious intention” to build it.
Speaking to GB News, Habib said while he supports the runway project, he believes the announcement is merely political posturing.
“I think this is performative politics. I don’t think she’s got a serious intention to build it,” Habib said.
Reeves announced her backing for the airport expansion earlier today as part of her plans to boost UK economic growth.
Ben Habib hit out at Rachel Reeves for her ‘performative politics’ as she set out her plans for growth
GB News / PA
He suggested Reeves was comfortable making the announcement knowing that the necessary processes would “exceed the length of this Parliament”.
Habib argued: “She knows that she can wrap herself in the cloak of desiring to grow, comfortable that actually all the processes through which she would have to go to navigate and deliver that runway will exceed the length of this Parliament. So she can say, I’m doing everything I want for growth, but actually I’m hindered in the process.”
The Chancellor emphasised the airport’s role in connecting Britain to emerging markets worldwide, declaring there had been “no progress in 80 years” on the project.
She claimed the expansion was “badly needed” and could generate over 100,000 jobs.
The Chancellor said her Budget came with ‘consequences’ – but laid into opposition parties for failing to put forth a proper alternativePADespite his criticism of Reeves, Habib expressed strong support for the Heathrow expansion project itself.
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Habib said: “I absolutely support a third runway at Heathrow, I think that Heathrow is a diminished form of what it used to be and it’s lost its position globally.
“I support the third runway, but that ain’t the way to go right now.”
However, Habib also outlined several alternative measures he believes would better stimulate economic growth for Britain, such as a U-turn on the rise in Employers’ National Insurance.
Habib stated: “If she was genuinely interested in growth, what she would be doing is reversing her incredibly damaging increases in employers National insurance. She would be not passing the Employment Rights Bill that’s going through Parliament, that is going to be so constraining for employers and therefore for productivity and growth in this country.”
Habib told GB News that Reeves doesn’t have a ‘serious intention’ to build the new runway
GB News
He expressed concerns about proposed rent reform bills, which he claimed would damage the housing market.
Habib added: “She would not pass the rent reform bills, which are going to be so damaging to our housing market. She would ditch the notion that companies and businesses need to keep records of ethnicity and ethnicity wage gaps and all that sort of thing if they really wanted to go for growth.”
He also advocated for improved road infrastructure to central London, suggesting it would help business leaders access the capital more efficiently.
“I would also include to improve dramatically the road infrastructure into central London, so we can have the great and good of business and leaders across the world come to this country and go straight into central London”, Habib claimed.