Heathrow vote - as it happened: Theresa May hopes to get Commons approval of third runway expansion
MPs have backed a crucial vote on approving a third runway at Heathrow airport after years of delays on the highly contentious issue.
It follows Theresa May’s decision to give the expansion the green light but Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, who has been a staunch opponent of the plans, came under mounting pressure when it emerged he had jetted off to Afghanistan to dodge the vote.
The government secured a comfortable victory on Monday evening, as Labour MPs were given a free vote on the issue and the SNP decided to abstain.
Indy sketchwriter Tom Peck says that 'to vote for Boris Johnson and genuinely expect him to keep his word is like voting for the Vegan Christmas Party, and not mind that the man wearing the rosette is Bernard Matthews'.
Long-standing Heathrow critic, Zac Goldsmith,says thousands of families will be displaced if the Heathrow plan is approved.
The Tory MP says: "The only reason why MPs would sign off on these costs is if they believe the economic upside justifies it. But so much of what we've heard in relation to economic benefits is propaganda.
"It's not even very sophisticated propaganda. Heathrow bosses must be laughing out loud when they tell us that expansion can deliver 250,000 more flights without any extra car journeys or that a third runway means fewer people will be affected by noise."
Earlier, the £1.3bn Swansea Bay tidal lagoon was rejected by the government, crushing hopes it would spark an “economic revolution” in Wales.
Following 18 months of analysis, ministers have decided that the renewable energy project will not receive any subsidy support, despite independent experts stating that it would be a “no regrets policy”.
Our science correspondent Josh Gabbatiss has filed this report:
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell is speaking for the back benches, as Heathrow Airport sits within his Hayes and Harlington constituency.
He says: "We don't even know what the infrastructure plan is for the area. Last time the infrastructure plan included a road through local cemetery.
"We were meant to disinter the dead to enable access to Heathrow."
He added: "Does this House stand up for people and communities, especially working class communities or does it stand up for the interests of a corporate cartel that's ripped us off for decades?"
Justine Greening says she does not think the proposals before MPs "will be seen as parliament's finest hour" and that some three million Londoners would be affected by expansion.
But the vote, expected at about 10pm, will "affect all of our communities in one way or another", she says.
Heathrow has broken promises in the past, including on night flights and respite, she warns regional MPs who might be "banking on" current pledges from the airport's managers.
"Any assurances in the development consent order literally are not worth the paper they are written on," the Putney MP says.
She adds: "Ministers will be long gone by the time members promised their regional airports will get extra connections find out that they haven't materialised, when the facts-of-life explanation from a future minister to you is that it will be your county council that has to pay £10m a year, perhaps, for your route to Heathrow."
The SNP's Alan Brown says the UK government has "fallen short" of guaranteeing benefits for Scotland of Heathrow expansion, though he had earlier said the airport itself appeared committed to providing a boost to the country.
He won't vote against expansion due to the potential opportunities for Scotland but says he cannot vote with the government either.
The abstention brings to an end a fairly lengthy SNP contribution to the debate.
Mr McDonald said there would be both "winners" and "losers" if the Commons approves the National Policy Statement.
"If this motion succeeds it will generate many winners, not least the shareholders of Heathrow Airport Ltd, but it risks making losers of many, including the communities where thousands of people will lose hundreds of homes," he said.
"I respect the voices in industry and the significant voices within the trade union movement who have concluded that the best interests of the country are served by proceeding.
"Having faithfully and carefully assessed Labour's four tests against the revised national policy statement I have to respectfully disagree."
Tory former transport secretary Justine Greening and Conservative Zac Goldsmith raised concerns about alleged benefits for regional airports.
