MP challenges chancellor over incorrect runway claim
On Tuesday 4 March, during a House of Commons debate on regional growth, Labour MP for Blackley and Middleton South, Graham Stringer, challenged the Treasury over a claim chancellor Rachel Reeves made in January. She said then: “We haven’t built a new runway in Britain since the 1940s.”
Mr Stringer said this week: “Manchester airport would be very surprised to hear that, because its new runway has been operating for nearly 25 years.”
We wrote about Ms Reeves’ claim at the time, and found it to be incorrect for the same reason.
Manchester Airport originally opened in 1938. A second runway was approved in 1997 and opened in 2001. According to the airport’s website, it remains the only airport in the UK outside London with two full-length runways.
When we wrote to Ms Reeves about her claim we received a response from the Treasury which confirmed that the last full-length runway built in Britain was in Manchester in 2001, and that the last full-length runway built in the South East was in the 1940s. We’ve asked Ms Reeves to correct her claim but have not received a response.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones responded to Mr Stringer’s question but did not address the claim directly. He said: “I congratulate the operators of Manchester airport on running a successful business, which we will continue to support in the normal way.”
We are grateful to Mr Stringer for raising the matter in Parliament.