Heathrow vote - as it happened: Theresa May hopes to get Commons approval of third runway expansion

Follow all the latest updates from Westminster, as they happened

Protestors lay down on lobby of Houses of Parliament to protest Heathrow 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.

See below for live updates

Key Points

• MPs back expansion plans for Heathrow by massive majority
• Boris Johnson faces calls to resign after jetting off to Afghanistan to dodge Heathrow vote
• Part of parliament locked down as protestors stage 'lie in' over expansion plans
• Chris Grayling clashes with climate change experts over dire warning of impact of airport expansion
• Cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood takes leave of absence for cancer treatment

[25 June 2018 20:25 · Lizzy Buchan]

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."

[25 June 2018 20:33 · Lizzy Buchan]

MPs are facing strict time limits on their contributions to the debate. Zac Goldsmith is not happy.

[25 June 2018 20:43 · Lizzy Buchan]

The row over Boris Johnson's absence has dominated the news today, after the foreign secretary jetted off to Afghanistan to dodge the Commons vote.

Here's our latest story:

[25 June 2018 21:00 · Lizzy Buchan]

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'.

Read his column here:

[25 June 2018 21:14 · Lizzy Buchan]

[25 June 2018 21:40 · Lizzy Buchan]

Here's our story on the protest ahead of the Heathrow vote:

[25 June 2018 21:57 · Lizzy Buchan]

[25 June 2018 22:06 · Lizzy Buchan]

MPs are now voting on the Heathrow expansion plans. The result will be in shortly.

[25 June 2018 22:23 · Lizzy Buchan]

MPs have supported the Heathrow Airport expansion by 415 votes to 119, majority 296.

[25 June 2018 22:30 · Lizzy Buchan]