Heathrow: MPs vote in favour of airport expansion

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The UK parliament has overwhelmingly voted to allow Heathrow to build another runway, which business said was “vital for exporters”. But while businesses supported the decision, a legal challenge is now under way to stop expansion over environmental concerns. Heathrow claims the expansion will create 100,000 jobs, come at no expense to the taxpayer and will fulfil its environmental commitments.

Meanwhile, expansion opponent foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who has pledged to lie in front of the bulldozers, faced a choice of resigning from government or hiding out of the country during the vote. He chose to remain in Kabul.