Andy Burnham is facing an immediate backlash over his hint this morning that he could cancel the Heathrow third runway Unite’s Sharon Graham says: “A third runway at Heathrow is essential and we need to get going with it” GMB’s Gary Smith says: “We need to put an end to decades of talk and lost benefits for working people across the country and get cracking” John Armitt, former chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, says: “Cancelling or delaying Heathrow expansion would not release a penny for the north; it would simply send tens of billions of private capital, and the jobs that come with it, somewhere else in the world” Parmjit Dhanda, former Labour MP and executive director of Back Heathrow: “It is now a test of whether Britain is serious about economic growth. It’s time to get it done, and open the doors to nearly £50 billion of inward private sector investment” Labour MP Siobhan McDonagh says: “The debate over Heathrow expansion has been going on for far too long; the time has come to simply get on and build the third runway” Heathrow itself says: “Critically, expanding Heathrow is a national project which will create jobs and boost growth in every part of the country”

Let's be honest. A lot of young people have stopped believing they'll ever own their own home. That's what happens when rents are high, house prices are high, and saving for a deposit feels impossible. My Labour government is stepping in to help. With Your First Home, first-time buyers will be able to buy a new-build home with a deposit of just 2.5%. Because hard work and saving should count for something. And because the dream of owning your own home shouldn't belong only to those with help from the bank of Mum and Dad.

Every year @BritishProgress asks Britain's top economists and policy researchers what the UK should do to increase growth. 🚨 As covered exclusively for @thetimes this morning, the 2026 growth survey results are now in! 🚨 This was our biggest survey yet with over 100 responses. 📉 The bad news: Britain's public finances, with inflation hit by external shocks, are in a bad state. 📈 The good news: the UK is not without options. There is much that can be done on the supply side reforms, & smarter fiscal policy can raise revenue while supporting growth. Here are the 12 most interesting results 👇 *1. Where should the government prioritise spending political capital?* We asked "In what areas should the Government invest more (or less) political capital to achieve growth?" NB this was explicitly not a question about spending – that's the next one.

"I really do not favour another election... what the country needs is results." Lawrence Newport, founder of Looking for Growth, tells #Newsnight that the UK requires "profound change" and "strong leadership" as PM Andy Burnham plays down the idea of an early election.