Reeves just gave absent Miliband an airport he wants, not just one he doesn’t

Rachel Reeves’ backing for the highly controversial expansion of Heathrow airport is what’s been dominating media coverage of her speech today, both in the lead-up and likely next few days.

The fact Ed Miliband had what he himself called “heated arguments” with Prime Minister Gordon Brown over Heathrow back in the 2000s has also had a lot of attention in recent days. Miliband  was at least reported to have considered quitting over it on environmental grounds, and reversed the party’s pro-Heathrow stance when he became leader.

Pressed about it recently, Energy Security and Net Zero minister now says Labour can meet both its growth and net-zero missions, and when asked if he might resign, replied to PA Media: “Don’t be ridiculous, no.”

But all eyes are still on the likes of Miliband to see if his support for government policy holds as controversy inevitably grows about the plans.

Or at least journalists’ eyes would have been on him at Reeves’ growth speech in Oxfordshire if he’d been in the room.

The fact he wasn’t raised eyebrows among several journalists in the room. LabourList had no immediate response to a query about his whereabouts.  One journalist appears to have been told he was in “meetings”.

What was more striking about the speech though given the questions over Miliband’s position is not Heathrow, but another airport Reeves made an announcement about.

As well as confirming decisions are imminent on Gatwick and Luton, Reeves announced the government will work with Doncaster Council and the Mayor of South Yorkshire to support their efforts to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport as what the Treasury dubbed a “thriving regional airport”.

That’s eye-catching because it’s something campaigned for by Doncaster MPs – including not only the one whose constituency it’s in, Lee Pitcher, but also one Ed Miliband.

Miliband wrote on his website in an update to constituents last month: “Our airport has incredible potential, bringing jobs and opportunity to Doncaster and wider South Yorkshire economy.

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