The chancellor says the airport is at "the heart of the UK's openness as a country" and a third runway could lead to 100,000 more jobs.

Chancellor also vows bat tunnels will not be used in UK infrastructure projects as she defends new growth measures

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves gave her support for a controversial third runway at Heathrow Airport, part of her government’s push to advance long-delayed planning decisions to boost economic growth.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said on Wednesday that "economic growth is the number one mission of this government" as she unveiled a series of proposals to boost the UK's economy. But how quickly could the government get growth from the plans she announced?

Good morning. Rachel Reeves delivered her big speech on growth. It contained a number of measures: some good (the Oxford/Cambridge arc tops that list), some bad (the third runway at Heathrow) and some added to give the list of growth initiatives the appearance of a more even regional distribution (the regeneration of Old Trafford).

British finance minister Rachel Reeves will say on Wednesday that she is ready for a fight to push forward her plans to speed up the country's slow-moving economy that have grown in urgency after this month's bond market slump.