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Brexit five years on – was it worth it? Join The Independent Debate
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Eight years ago, voters across the UK faced a historic choice in the Brexit referendum.
Now, five years after officially leaving the EU, the country is still grappling with the fallout. From trade barriers and worker rights to questions of sovereignty and economic growth, Brexit has left a legacy of debate and division.
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has promised to “reset” the UK’s relationship with the EU, but efforts to mend ties are proving more complex than expected. Meanwhile, public sentiment is shifting, with many experiencing “Bregret” over the decision, especially as the consequences of leaving the EU become clearer.
Now we want to know your views: was Brexit worth it? Has it delivered on its promises, or has it left Britain worse off? Should we be aiming to rebuild closer ties with Europe, or continue forging a new path outside the EU?
Share your thoughts in the comments — we’ll feature the most compelling responses.
All you have to do is sign up and register your details — then you can take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.
If you want to hear more discussion on the impact of Brexit, sign up for our free virtual event with our chief political commentator John Rentoul here.
Lewis Hamilton is having his first experience of a Ferrari Formula 1 car at the team’s Fiorano test track.
The 40-year-old seven-time champion is testing a 2023 car as part of his acclimatisation work with his new team.
His test follows two days of work at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, of which the Fiorano track is a part.
Hamilton’s running was complete by shortly after 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT). Team-mate Charles Leclerc will drive the car in the afternoon as he begins to get back up to speed after the winter break.
Ferrari will release more information about Hamilton’s running later on Wednesday.
Hamilton will be limited to a total of 1,000km (621 miles) of what is known as testing of previous cars running by F1’s regulations.
The test will help him learn the way the Ferrari engine operates and allow him to build trust and working practices with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami and the rest of the team.
Adami worked with Carlos Sainz for the last four years and before that four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.
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A former chairman of the Conservative Party has made the bizarre claims that the beginning of Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana’s trial was scheduled on the same day as Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration as “a calculated and cynical move by the Labour Government to ‘bury bad news’ behind international headlines”.
The claim echoes other social media posts over recent months which make various claims about the timing of both events on the same day.
The claim made by Sir Jake Berry can be proven as false as the trial date is set by the courts, not the Government. The trial was scheduled months before Mr Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
The trial date was set for January 20 2025 during a hearing on August 1 2024 by Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Andrew Menary KC – the judge who allowed Rudakubana’s name to be published despite him being under 18 at the time he was charged.
This was more than three months before the US presidential election was held on November 5.
While it was not known at the time the trial date was set that Mr Trump would become the next president, the US inauguration ceremony always takes place on January 20, or on January 21 if the 20th is a Sunday.
Trial schedules are set by the courts, never by the Government.
The Government’s website states: “If the defendant pleads not guilty to the crime the court will need to arrange a trial to receive evidence about what happened. At the first hearing the court will ask for information about the case, set a trial date and make court orders (‘directions’) about getting the case ready for trial.”
Not guilty pleas were entered on Rudakubana’s behalf at Liverpool Crown Court on December 18 2024. His trial was expected to last four to six weeks.
Because Rudakubana pleaded guilty on the morning of January 20 the trial did not go ahead as planned.
Here is a timeline of what was known when about Southport killer Axel Rudakubana:
– 2019
Axel Rudakubana becomes known to a range of local agencies due to anxiety, social isolation and challenging behaviour.
In October he takes a knife to school, and in December attacks another child with a hockey stick.
He receives a youth justice referral order for the assault – a measure where juveniles who plead guilty to their first offence are placed under supervision to try to stop them reoffending – and completes this in 2021.
Between December 2019 and April 2021 he is referred to the government counter-extremism scheme Prevent three times.
He is aged between 13 and 14.
– October 2019 to May 2022
Lancashire Police have a series of interactions with the teenager, including being called to his house five times.
He is assessed for an autism spectrum disorder, and given mental health and educational support.
– February 2023
Rudakubana has stopped engaging with mental health workers, is struggling to attend school and has anxiety that makes him unwilling to leave his house.
– Monday July 29 2024
The teenager, then aged 17, murders Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and injures eight other children and two adults in a knife rampage.
Within hours, just after 5.15pm, Merseyside Police releases a statement confirming “that the incident is not currently being treated as terror-related”, and this remains the case to date.
The force also says that the suspect they have arrested was born in Cardiff, amid false rumours online that the attack was carried out by an asylum seeker.
– Tuesday July 30
Rudakubana’s home in Old School Close, Banks is searched by police, and an unknown substance is found in his bedroom.
The search is halted and the substance is sent to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Porton Down near Salisbury for analysis.
Separately, that evening there is both a peaceful vigil for the girls in Southport, and unrest outside the town’s mosque.
– Wednesday July 31
Rudakubana is charged with three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, and one of possession of a knife in a public place.
Demonstrators gather in Whitehall, London, for an “Enough Is Enough” protest.
Flares and cans are thrown at police and more than 100 people are arrested.
Disorder also breaks out in Hartlepool, County Durham, and Aldershot, Hampshire.
– Thursday August 1
Lab results suggest that the unknown substance is ricin.
This is a biological toxin estimated to be 6,000 times more poisonous than cyanide.
It can be fatal when inhaled, ingested, injected or swallowed.
– Friday August 2
The substance is confirmed by the Dstl to be ricin.
The form the poison was found in was deemed to be “low to very low risk”.
– Unconfirmed date in September
Merseyside Police pass a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) concerning the ricin and an al Qaida training manual found in Rudakubana’s possession.
– October 29
The additional charges against Rudakubana over the ricin and the al Qaida document are publicly announced.
He is charged with possessing the document between August 29 2021 and July 30 2024.
The Government insists that the timing of the decision to announce the charges was purely a decision for the CPS, amid calls for more information to be released by politicians including Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage.
The ricin charge required the authorisation of government officers the attorney general or solicitor general to proceed, and the BBC reports that senior government figures had been told about the new charges a few weeks before.
In January 2025 Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he had been updated about the case, but was unable to reveal any details publicly as it would have risked causing a future criminal trial to collapse.
The Attorney General’s Office is yet to confirm when the CPS applied for approval for the additional charge under the Biological Weapons Act and when the government’s law officers granted approval but it is understood this process took place within days.
– Monday January 20 2025
Rudakubana speaks for the first time at a court hearing and pleads guilty to all charges, paving the way for full details about the case to be revealed now that there will be no jury trial.
The referrals to Prevent are revealed publicly for the first time, along with details of his obsession with violence and attempt to travel to his school the week before the murders.
The debate over whether information about his background should have been released earlier is reignited.
– Tuesday January 21
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper tells the Commons that Rudakubana had admitted carrying a knife 10 times, and that he had bought the murder weapon on Amazon despite having a previous conviction for violence over the hockey stick incident and being underage.
PA MediaInvestigators searching for culprits who illegally dumped a huge pile of waste on a rural Staffordshire road say inquiries are “pointing in one direction”.
“We’ve found a fair bit of evidence in there,” environmental protection manager Jack Twomey said, confirming they were following several leads in the inquiry.
“As the waste is being removed, we’ve been going in there and trying to search through the core of the waste to see if we can find more.”
The mountain of rubbish was discovered at about 06:00 GMT on Monday on Watery Lane in Lichfield, leaving residents cut off and business owners unable to reach their premises.
Construction of a housing estate at the other end of Watery Lane was already causing access problems.
Lichfield District Council said it would find the culprits and hold them responsible for the flytipping, which had appeared overnight.
Under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, people convicted of the offence face an unlimited fine and, in serious cases, a jail sentence.
Speaking on Monday, councillor Phil Whitehouse, cabinet member in charge of waste, said he had been “completely shocked” by the amount dumped and that it appeared to have been a calculated operation.
Business owner Natalie Farkas told the BBC the illegal dumping had blocked firms’ only access to their premises, exacerbating problems caused by the existing road closures.
Companies have lost two days of trade as a result of the flytipping, she said.
The firms had already seen trade drop by about 40%, because of the ongoing disruption caused by the housing estate’s construction.
“It’s just been unbearable” she said. “I’ve been trading for 30 years and this is the most stressful it’s ever been,” said Ms Farkas.
“I’ve been through four recessions and I’ve always managed to keep my head in and keep my business going.”
Paul Shaw, managing director for Redrow Midlands, said the housing developer has offered to support the council with cleaning-up the illegal waste as well as supporting with future preventative measures.
The company has also temporarily opened an access road through their development for local residents and businesses.
Mr Shaw also said the part of Watery Lane closed because of the housing estate’s construction, was due to reopen in April.
Contractors have been on-site since 07:00 GMT, the council said.
Labour ministers have ousted the chairman of the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) after Rachel Reeves demanded that regulators “tear down” red tape.
Marcus Bokkerink’s departure from the watchdog was announced by the Department for Business & Trade last night after it deemed that the organisation was not sufficiently focused on growth.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds thanked Bokkerink for his time at the watchdog, saying: “We want to see regulators including the CMA supercharging the economy with pro-business decisions.”
Doug Gurr – who used to work for Amazon UK and is a director of the Natural History Museum – has taken on the role in the interim.
Rachel Reeves instructed top bosses of railways, water, energy and aviation firms to “tear down regulatory barriers that hold back economic growth”
PA
Labour is currently pushing authorities to support its economic agenda on growth, sparking concerns surrounding the consequential effect on industry standards and consumers.
Reeves instructed top bosses of railways, water, energy and aviation firms to “tear down regulatory barriers that hold back economic growth” at a joint meeting hosted by the Labour Chancellor and Business Secretary last week.
It followed previous instructions from the pair that the regulators must bring forward a list of reforms to support growth and the Government – 17 of which would be subsequently scrutinised by ministers.
Labour has said that regulators must work towards developing environments that “unlock innovation and investment”.
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Bokkerink – who used to work for Boston Consulting Group – wrote to the Government last week to inform them that the CMA was “fully supportive of the government’s focus on driving economic growth and stands with you in this critical shared endeavour”, setting out five proposals.
Nevertheless, business leaders have complained that the body has been too interventionist, as it previously came under fire for its handling of Microfsoft’s $69billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The deal was later approved after the CMA blocked it at first, leading to a 21-month-long process.
More recently, the CMA started an investigation into the search and search advertising markets last week, producing a report that quoted a Government official saying that the body’s “performance has not been good enough”.
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds thanked Bokkerink for his time at the watchdog
PA
There was also some “frustration about this across the board from business”, according to the same source.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “I would like to thank Marcus for his leadership and support over the last two years.
“The CMA has a critical role to play supporting the government’s growth mission.
“I welcome the appointment of Doug Gurr as the CMA’s new interim chair and look forward to working closely with him as we drive growth, opportunity and prosperity for the UK.”
NewsBeat
Storm Eowyn map: Where and when snow and 90mph winds will hit UK after Met Office weather warnings issued
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Storm Eowyn is set to bring strong winds across the entire country, potentially putting lives at risk, the Met Office has warned.
Gusts of more than 90mph could cause power cuts, travel disruption and damage to buildings as Storm Eowyn threatens the UK.
There could also be a danger to life caused by flying debris.
The UK can expect the arrival of unsettled conditions on Thursday, which will see strengthening winds and heavy rainfall in western parts of the country overnight, the forecaster said.
It follows the “benign” grey, cloudy weather and outbreaks of rain seen by much of the country earlier in the week.
The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning from midnight on Friday across most of the UK, including the south-west of England, the Midlands, northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, as the storm sweeps through the country.
The disruption is not expected to affect inland areas in the south-east of the country, including London, but will hit the coast, with the warning extending to Brighton and Dover.
The forecaster issued an additional warning from midnight on Saturday to late afternoon that day across Scotland and the far north of England.
Met Office spokeswoman Andrea Bishop said: “Storm Eowyn will bring a period of very unsettled, potentially disruptive, weather to the UK through Friday and into Saturday.
“Pronounced ‘Ay-oh-win’, the system will begin to influence the UK’s weather on Friday, with strengthening winds initially in north-western parts of the UK with accompanying heavy rainfall.”
Storm Eowyn will bring a spell of strong south-easterly to south-westerly winds, with gusts reaching 50-60 mph inland and 70-90 mph along coasts.
The wind strength is expected to ease gradually through Saturday from the south.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: “The strongest gusts are likely to be felt across parts of Northern Ireland, northern England, north-western Wales and western Scotland, where exposed sites could get gusts in excess of 80mph, which has the potential to cause impacts for those in these areas.
“There will also be some heavy rain, bringing some unpleasant conditions to end the week.”
The change to conditions is being caused by a powerful jet stream pushing low pressure across the Atlantic and towards the UK, following a recent cold spell over North America, the Met Office said.
The forecaster advised securing loose items outside homes, including bins, garden furniture, trampolines and sheds, and gathering torches and batteries in case of any power cut.
Those travelling in this “disruptive spell of weather” are urged to be cautious, as road, rail, airports and ferries are likely to be affected.
Another area of low pressure could bring further wet and very windy weather across the UK by Sunday.
There is the potential for further weather warnings over the weekend and throughout next week, the Met Office added.
Just hours into his second presidency, Donald Trump was already bulldozing congressional Republicans.
He granted clemency to some 1,500 Jan. 6 offenders, some of them convicted of violent assaults. He flouted a bipartisan TikTok ban, ordering it to remain unenforced. And he moved to cancel some of his predecessor’s energy programs over the pleadings of some in the GOP who wanted him to wait — to name just a few of the ways he undercut members of his own party.
A day later, it was as if a switch had been flipped.
In a meeting Tuesday with top GOP leaders, he didn’t move to settle key strategic disputes over raising the debt limit and passing the party’s big domestic policy package. Top leaders from the House and Senate left the White House and gave reporters completely contradictory accounts of how his agenda would be passed.
In other words, Trump is already showing his split-screen approach to congressional relations — one that, so far, is more concerned with using his political muscle to perform acts of dominance than to settle the intramural disputes that are holding up his agenda.
The past two days underscore how Trump and his team view Capitol Hill, informed by his previous four years in office, and the four subsequent years he spent climbing back: Republicans will eventually fall in line with whatever he wants, they believe, so why hold back?
“The sooner these guys recognize that it’s the president that kept their House majority and their Senate majority, and the sooner they realize it’s the president that has the will of the people — not them — the sooner they will be able to live a productive life,” one Trump insider granted anonymity to discuss relations with Congress told me recently.
“At the end of the day, he’s the one with the mandate, and they know it,” said another.
There was immediate evidence that such a read is absolutely correct.
Faced with questions about Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons, most GOP lawmakers opted for a delicate tap dance. Many deflected attention to predecessor Joe Biden’s pardons of family members. Others quickly dusted off the old first-term playbook: I didn’t see the tweet/comment/executive order.
“I haven’t seen the list,“ Speaker Mike Johnson told my colleague Meredith Lee Hill. “I haven’t had a chance to evaluate it.”
And when Trump essentially flipped them the bird on TikTok — putting off dealing with something they’ve described for years as a major national security issue — nary a squawk was heard. Johnson and Senate Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) spoke out Sunday to reiterate their support for the nine-month-old ban, only to be neutered a day later.
Same goes for Trump’s first-day decision to gut Biden’s electric vehicle mandates. Hill leaders wanted to repeal it themselves so they could book the savings and use them to offset the cost of tax cuts. Trump bullied forward anyway.
He even burned political capital on a molehill of a mountain: re-renaming Denali to Mount McKinley over the objections of Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan.
A more traditional politician might consider it risky to wildly alienate members of your own party (especially a known swing vote like Murkowski) when much of your agenda requires congressional approval — doubly so when you have a House majority even narrower than in the Senate.
Not so for Trump, obviously. Yet the alpha-male power plays suddenly evaporate when it comes to settling disputes among Republicans about his own agenda.
The chambers remain on diverging paths when it comes to passing border, energy and tax measures, with the House pushing one vote on one massive bill while the Senate wants to split it in two. Same for the debt limit: Include it in a party-line budget reconciliation bill? Or cut a deal with Democrats?
Some Republicans were hoping Trump would use his audience with Hill leaders at the White House on Tuesday to crack the whip on those questions and others. That doesn’t seem to have happened: One senior Republican aide we spoke to afterward couldn’t hide his disappointment; Trump continued to waffle rather than provide clarity.
That’s despite complaining in the meeting, as he often does, about how Democrats always stick together and Republicans instead bicker and fracture. He insisted on unity but didn’t do much to facilitate it.
Which is partly why Trump’s whatever-I-want posture early on is raising so many eyebrows among some Republicans. The president, they believe, will have to spend some of the political capital he seems intent on burning now to get his agenda passed later.
A key test is at hand, with some of Trump’s most controversial nominees headed toward confirmation votes that will force some Senate Republicans to eat a “shit sandwich,” as one Republican aide told me on Inauguration Day.
Pete Hegseth, his pick for Pentagon chief, is teed up for a vote within days despite a late-breaking report that he’d made an ex-wife “fear for her safety.” (The woman denied she’d been physically abused.) And many senators remain uncomfortable with his choice of Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, with her isolationist views and policy flipflops.
They haven’t even gotten yet to his plans for tariffs — not only on China but allies like Mexico and Canada — potential levies that have given traditional pro-business Republicans heartburn for months.
If Republicans fall in line behind Hegseth, Gabbard and tariffs — as most now expect — it will be proof positive that Trump’s steamroller approach is working.
“From his end, he’s doing what he said he would do, so this notion that we’re going to have any ability to stop him from doing what he feels is right is laughable,” said one senior GOP aide. “It’s just not happening.”
So who cares if he isn’t sweating the small stuff?
BBC/PAWarning: This article contains spoilers for series three of The Traitors.
A contestant has said appearing on TV show The Traitors was “mentally exhausting”.
Reverend Lisa Coupland, 62, from Truro in Cornwall has been in Series 3 of the BBC One programme, where contestants known as “faithfuls” work to identify a group of imposters, or “traitors”, within their ranks.
Those traitors attempt to secretly “kill off” the others while remaining undetected and directing suspicion elsewhere.
Mrs Coupland, who did not reveal her profession until episode five, said she saw herself as being “undercover” rather than lying when she took off her dog collar and kept quiet about her faith.
BBC/STUDIO LAMBERTShe said it was “quite a strange experience” to keep her faith “under wraps”.
“I like to think about it more as going undercover rather than actually lying – I mean, [crime-solving TV priest] Father Brown can do it, so why can’t I?”, she said.
The Anglican priest was eliminated in episode nine – or murdered in the language of the show.
Mrs Coupland, a fan of murder mysteries and whodunits, said: “It was a game and I think we have to put that into context, really.”
Talking to BBC Radio Cornwall, she said playing the game was “relentless”, adding: “Your brain is being pulled in so many different directions.
“You’re looking at people for the slightest nuance and changes in their behaviour.
“Mentally, it’s exhausting because all the time you’re trying to work things out.”
Mrs Coupland, who was a guest at a fellow contestant’s wedding last year, said she did have moments where she sat back and “just enjoyed the experience… otherwise you just don’t have a moment’s peace”.
She said she was “shattered” after long filming days, so “sleeping wasn’t a problem for me”.
She said she used the evenings, at a private lodge, to catch up with church admin and “come down, relax, and hold everything up to God”.
“I’m probably more adaptable than I thought I was, but probably not as fit as I thought I was.”
Episodes of The Traitors are now on BBC iPlayer, and the series airs on BBC One at 21:00 GMT on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
NewsBeat
‘I only have two bills and get a pension after 12 years’: Soldier reveals financial benefits of army | Money News
Each Monday, our Money team speaks to someone from a different profession to discover what it’s really like.
Today we’re chatting to Lance Bombardier Olivia O’Malley, 35, who specialises in communications with the Royal Artillery.
People think it’s all about combat… but the army has over 120 different jobs. I’m not actually on the frontline, but I can aid the frontline. I work with the Watchkeeper, which is a type of drone – it’s pretty cool – and do surveillance and communications.
You start on just over £25k… when you finish basic training. Specialist roles will pay extra, and as you move up the ranks you will get paid more. For example, as Lance Corporal you are looking at around £30k.
Read all the latest Money news here
But… the army also offers subsidised living. You can get breakfast for £1.95, lunch for £2.60 and so on. You’ll probably find yourself living in a block of flats, a bit like a Premier Inn, with a room and an en-suite and you will be paying maybe £100 a month. The rooms aren’t bad and you have other people living on your corridor, so you aren’t isolated, which makes a difference because you can be living miles from home.
All you have to pay for is a mobile phone and internet… and the rest of the money is yours. So there is plenty of opportunity to save for your future.
The time off is pretty good… I get two weeks at Easter, three weeks of summer leave, two weeks at Christmas and then all of the bank holidays as well, so you can get into a really nice routine.
I would recommend the army to women… You can get a lot out of it, and people don’t always realise what is available. It is not quite as male-dominated an organisation, there are lots of female soldiers.
Some army jobs require no GCSEs… while some require the standard two (English and maths), and some you may need five. If you’re thinking of going down the officer route you will need 72 UCAS and 35 ALIS points, including a C/4 or above in some subjects.
You go from being a civilian to a soldier during basic training… It’s a 13-week course and you’re firing weapons, you are working on your fitness and learning how to act.
Read more of this series:
What it’s really like to be a… publican
What it’s really like to be a… novelist
The most important skill… is being a team player. In my department, we have seven people, and if you are high ranking you need leadership skills, which the army teaches you, but you also need to be a team player because it is still just a small team.
Some of the hardest days… are being sent on a promotion course. They include going out into the field because you are a soldier first. Both of mine have been in November, and it’s cold and miserable but you have to have the mental resilience to push through it. If you fall into the negative, things don’t work.
You get pension benefits after 12 years… so that was my first goal. Now I can see myself staying for my whole career – the army is a big place and it offers a lot of roles. I want to work as an army welfare officer… so if I do ever retire from the army I can retrain in that sort of field.
You get loads of qualifications for free… when civilians would have to pay. I’ve passed my summer mountaineering, I’ve done my army boxing coach level one course, adventure training. You really appreciate all the opportunities you get. I also took part in Project Convergence 2022, which took place in Death Valley in the USA, testing new technologies. Being deployed out in the desert, watching Elon Musk launch a satellite, hiring a car and going to Vegas for $20 – all of these wouldn’t be possible in a normal civilian job.
NewsBeat
Reeves risks Cabinet row as she says growth must trump green concerns over Heathrow third runway
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Rachel Reeves has thrown down the gauntlet to cabinet colleagues, warning them that pro-growth measures must trump other priorities.
The chancellor is gearing up for a possible row over her support for a third runway at Heathrow as part of a major expansion of London’s airports to boost growth.
And, asked about potential opposition to the move from net zero secretary Ed Miliband, Ms Reeves said: “The answer can’t always be no.”
In her strongest attack yet on nimbys (Not in My Back Yard) holding the economy to ransom, she said: “This was the problem in the last government. There was always someone that said ‘oh yes of course we want to grow the economy but we don’t like investment, we don’t like that wind farm, we don’t like those pylons, we don’t like that airport, we don’t want that housing near us’.
“The answer can’t always be no. And that’s been the problem in Britain for a long time: that when there was a choice between something that would grow the economy and sort of anything else, ‘anything else’ always won.”
Ms Reeves is expected to back plans for a third runway at Heathrow, Britain’s busiest airport, as early as next week, opening a major split in Labour’s ranks.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has said he would not hesitate to launch a legal challenge against the development, while Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said the development would concentrate growth in London.
Meanwhile cabinet colleague Mr Miliband has long been opposed to a third runway at Heathrow, while Sir Keir Starmer himself voted against the airport’s expansion in 2020.
But Ms Reeves is braced for the cabinet bust up, with a series of dire warnings about the state of Britain’s economy only furthering her determination to get the economy moving.
In the latest blow for Ms Reeves, official figures showed a bigger-than-expected surge in government borrowing last month to nearly £18 billion – the highest level for four years.
It was £10.1 billion higher than the same month last year, and far higher than economists had forecast.
That followed volatility in the UK government bond market which sent public sector borrowing costs soaring and led to fears that Ms Reeves is on track to miss her fiscal rules.
She is expected to announce a series of deep cuts in an upcoming spending review.
EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis backed the expected announcement from the chancellor, telling reporters: “We welcome the decisive action by the Government to grow the economy.
“We’ve always said that aviation, the industry, is an enabler of economic growth.
“When it comes to Heathrow, I’ve always thought Heathrow would fit our network of primary airports with great catchment areas.
“It would be a unique opportunity to operate from Heathrow at scale – because obviously right now it’s slot-constrained – and give us an opportunity to provide lower fares for UK consumers that currently at Heathrow just have the option of flag carriers.
“It fits with our network, we’re present at all the other major European airports like Schiphol, Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Geneva etc.”
Opponents of airport expansion claim boosting flights would be damaging for the environment.
Alethea Warrington, head of aviation at climate charity Possible, said: “Approving airport expansions would be a catastrophic misstep for a Government which claims to be a climate leader.
“This huge increase in emissions won’t help our economy, and would just encourage the small group of frequent flyers who take most of the flights, further worsening the UK’s huge tourism deficit.”
She added that the Government should focus on supporting “affordable and low-carbon trains and buses”.
Jenny Bates, transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “A decision to green-light another runway at Heathrow would be hugely irresponsible in the midst of a climate emergency and given 2024 was the first year to surpass the all-important 1.5 degrees threshold.
“It would also fly in the face of the Prime Minister’s promise to show international leadership on climate change.”
Heathrow’s third runway project secured parliamentary approval in June 2018 but has been delayed by legal challenges over the environmental impact, and the coronavirus pandemic.
There is currently no Development Consent Order application for the scheme, and it is up to Heathrow if it submits one.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has a deadline of February 27 to make a decision on whether to allow Gatwick to bring its existing emergency northern runway into routine use.
She has a deadline of April 3 to decide on Luton Airport’s bid to raise its cap on passenger numbers.
There is also speculation that Ms Reeves will support the Lower Thames Crossing – a proposed new road crossing between Kent and Essex – and a Universal Studios theme park in Bedford.
The government has ordered offshore energy firms to avoid “noisy” detonations when disposing of unexploded bombs on the seabed, in a bid to protect vulnerable marine life.
There are still more than 300,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance from the First and Second World Wars dotted around UK waters, which must be cleared for wind projects to go ahead.
Marine minister Emma Hardy said “high-order” detonations of the dormant weapons should be a last resort and the industry must adopt quieter alternatives instead.
Large explosive blasts can kill off whales, dolphins and other sea creatures, and the noise can disrupt their behaviour, experts say.
The government is working with the Crown Estate and staff from the explosives and offshore wind industries to test and develop new, quieter technologies for bomb clearance.
Hardy said the rules will allow more offshore wind farms to be built while protecting vulnerable animals.
“These new measures support the construction of offshore wind that the UK needs, while making sensible changes to stop needless harm to underwater life,” she added.
Stop Sea Blasts campaigner Joanna Lumley said she was “thrilled to the core” at the decision to protect the UK’s “unbelievably precious seas”.
“This is a magnificent example of government and industry coming together to embrace technology and challenge the old way of doing things,” she said.
“This announcement should ensure that high-order detonation, and the damage it wreaks, is consigned to the history books.”
Offshore wind is key to the government’s plans to decarbonise the UK’s energy grid by 2030 under its Plan for Growth.
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