The issue of whether or not to allow the construction of a third runway at Heathrow is threatening to undermine Britain’s ruling coalition, pitting concerns about the environmental consequences against those who believe that expansion will be key if Britain is to continue strengthening its international trade ties.

Pressure is building on Prime Minister David Cameron to rethink his party’s opposition to the construction of a third runway in the West London airport.

Along with coalition partner the Liberal Democrats and the Opposition Labour Party (which had once supported the runway), the Conservatives had pledged to oppose a third runway in their 2010 election manifesto.

However, since then, business representatives have kept up the pressure on the Government, arguing that Britain was losing out on vital links to fast growing markets, hurting trade and investment.

There have been proposals to expand capacity elsewhere: such as at Stansted to the east of London or even the construction of an entirely new airport (an idea pushed by the city’s Mayor Boris Johnson), but it is the expansion at Heathrow on which much of the pressure, and attention remains focused.

Now pressure has been building from within the Conservative party too: over the weekend Tim Yeo, a senior Conservative Member of Parliament who chairs the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee, called on the Prime Minister to demonstrate whether he was a “man or a mouse” in a strongly worded piece in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

He focused on the economic angle – both in terms of boosting links with destinations such as smaller cities in China, to which there are currently no direct flights, as well as the thousands of jobs for the private sector, and the construction industry in particular that would be created.

Expansion at other airports would be no replacement for the boost that a third run way at Heathrow would give: “air travellers don’t like travelling across cities,” he insists.

Opponents argue that aside from the disruption to communities around the airport, a third runway would be a huge setback to the nation’s ambitious targets of reducing its carbon emissions. Proponents argue that the pressure on airlines to use “greener” aircraft, as a result of the EU aviation emissions tax, will reduce the environmental impact.

The situation remains fraught – the Prime Minister is yet to clarify where he stands, while Transport Minister Justine Greening – whose constituency would be in fight path and who has long been opposed to the runway – told the BBC that it would be “difficult” for her to remain as a Minister if the Government changed its position on this.

Ahead of her comments there were rumours circulating that she would be moved out of her position in a Cabinet reshuffle.

Zac Goldsmith, the former editor of The Ecologist and a Conservative Member of Parliament has also said he would resign as an MP should the runway go ahead.

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