Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves pressed ahead with plans for a third runway at Heathrow as they battled to stay at the helm of the Labour government.
Ministers published a public consultation on the proposed Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) which is effectively the blueprint for another runway at the west London airport.
Chancellor Ms Reeves stressed: “Growth is this Government’s top priority, and we are backing the builders to get Britain moving.
"An expanded Heathrow would support over 60,000 good local jobs and deliver up to £42 billion in benefits to the UK, strengthening vital links and improving connectivity across the country.”
She added that the Government had delivered the “fastest ever review of a national policy statement’ with the Heathrow expansion proposal.
But the Prime Minister and Chancellor were accused of “rushing” the plan amid the threat from Andy Burnham.
The Greater Manchester Mayor is seeking a return to Westminster, by winning the Makerfield by-election, and has made clear he intends to challenge Sir Keir for the Labour leadership and to be PM.
"This announcement has been slipped out by a PM and Chancellor weeks before they're out of a job,” said Twickenham MP Munira Wilson.
“While they try to dodge the consequences, it will be local communities, our environment and the taxpayer that pay the price."
The public consultation will only last until the end of August which ministers insisted is more than ten weeks.
But aviation campaigner John Stewart said: “This is very much rushing it through.
“It’s only two-and-a-half months, one of which is the holiday month of August.”
Sir Sadiq Khan is opposing another runway at the west London airport based on the “severe impact it would have on noise, air pollution and ability to meet climate change targets”.
A spokesman for the London mayor added: “Despite progress in making the aviation sector more sustainable, he remains unconvinced that a new runway delivering hundreds of thousands of additional flights each year could be achieved without a hugely detrimental impact on the climate and environment.
“The Mayor is deeply concerned that the Government's proposed requirements for the project will not ensure that Heathrow expansion avoids creating additional highway traffic, undermining years of work to improve air quality across London.”
However, Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye welcomed the Government’s decisions.
“The publication of the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement represents something Britain has often found difficult in recent years: progress,” he said.
“We strongly welcome that the Government has taken this next critical step. The UK cannot realise its full economic potential without an expanded Heathrow.”
But Paul McGuinness, chair of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, predicted that the cost of Heathrow expansion would soar, as happened with HS2 high speed rail, and it would be damaging to local communities.
He accused ministers of a “sham consultation held during the inattentive summer holiday period”.
The Standard recently revealed how the Government was pushing ahead at speed with the third runway plans, with campaigners against expansion saying they were being “fast-tracked” in a “mad dash” for economic growth.
The Government is backing Heathrow’s £33 billion scheme to expand the airport which will increase capacity by more than 50% to 756,000 flights a year, and involve moving the M25 which could create years of disruption for motorists.
In a written statement to Parliament, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told how the ANPS had been renamed the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS) to clarify that it applies only to Heathrow expansion.
Up to 40% of the growth benefits of expansion, once fully operational, is expected to be in areas outside of London and the South East, she added.
Key to the document is the four tests that the Government will apply to decide whether the expansion, which it has already backed, should go ahead.
They are:
* On Economic Growth: Expansion must deliver a credible and meaningful contribution to UK-wide economic growth, supported by a clear plan for how benefits (e.g. jobs, productivity and connectivity) will be realised.
* On Carbon: The scheme must be compatible with the UK’s legally binding climate targets, including carbon budgets and net zero.
* On Air Quality: Expansion must not cause new breaches of legal air quality limits, taking account of appropriate mitigation.
* On Noise: Impacts must be limited so that noise is no worse than current levels (2024 baseline), with reductions where possible, supported by effective mitigation.
The air quality test risked sparking a row given it only applies to new breaches, but Heathrow said it was already meeting all air quality legal targets.
The airport expansion plans could be hit if Mr Burnham becomes Prime Minister as he has argued such investment should go to the regions
There is also talk that Ed Miliband could become Chancellor if Sir Keir is ousted..
Net Zero Secretary Mr Miliband is a long-time critic of a bigger Heathrow and has warned that the latest expansion plans will not be allowed to proceed if they bust Britain’s legally-binding commitments on fighting climate change.
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