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 12:15 · Ashley Cowburn]

At a Downing Street briefing shortly before midday, the prime minister's spokesperson also declined to back the health secretary Jeremy Hunt's aggressive stance on Airbus' threat over Brexit. 

This is the story from Sunday.

[25 June 2018 12:30 · Ashley Cowburn]

[25 June 2018 12:45 · Ashley Cowburn]

Greg Hands, the former trade minister who resigned from the government last week in order to vote against Heathrow today, has been on BBC 5 Live this afternoon. 

In his first interview since stepping down, he said that politicians have to be "answerable for our own pledges" in a thinly veiled swipe at Boris Johnson. 

He said: “I thought it was important to fulfil the election pledge that I made only a year ago to my constituents.  My pledge in my general election leaflets last year was very clear.  I said I will be voting against the proposal when it comes before parliament.

“Now that doesn't mean being away, being absent.  It was quite clearly to vote against it.  I think it's very important if you make a clear pledge in politics to follow through on that pledge.”

When asked whether his ministerial staff offered to arrange an international trip, he said: “What happened last week in the lead up is not necessarily helpful to discuss.   I was clear from the beginning, and made it clear from the beginning, that I would be voting against – and that any option to be somewhere else was not going to be viable for me, because of the very clear pledge that I have made to my electors in Chelsea and Fulham, which could hardly have been clearer.”

When asked whether Boris Johnson should have made the same decision, and stayed in the country, Mr Hands said: “That's a question better put to others.  I can only talk about the pledge that I made….   We all have to be answerable for our own pledges that we make as politicians.  We're all answerable primarily as Members of Parliament to our constituents.”

[25 June 2018 13:12 · Lizzy Buchan]

The Heathrow debate will start after two urgent questions - one on the childhood obesity strategy and one on Airbus' fears over Brexit. 

[25 June 2018 13:47 · Lizzy Buchan]

Tory former Cabinet minister Justine Greening took a swipe at Boris Johnson with a tweet welcoming Greg Hands' decision to fly back to the UK to attend the Heathrow vote.

Ms Greening tweeted: "Great you're back Greg! I wouldn't want any long-term MP campaigners against £Heathrow expansion to miss their chance to represent their community. £commitment £bulldozer"

[25 June 2018 14:00 · Ashley Cowburn]

In other news, the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, has said he has "no intention of going anywhere" despite saying in June 2009 he would only serve for nine years. 

As the ninth anniversary of his election passed, Mr Bercow told a reception in Speaker's House at the Palace of Westminster: "Notwithstanding occasional rumours to the contrary, I have got absolutely no intention of going anywhere."

[25 June 2018 14:02 · Ashley Cowburn]

It appears the foreign secretary has been found. Afghanistan's ministry of foreign affairs has just tweeted this image from its official Twitter account.

[25 June 2018 14:37 · Ashley Cowburn]

[25 June 2018 14:54 · Ashley Cowburn]

[25 June 2018 14:57 · Ashley Cowburn]

In his full letter, Mr Johnson said he had been urged by local councillors to carry on in office so that he could continue to oppose a third runway from within the Government.

"I have long been an opponent of a third runway at Heathrow and that is why I am not voting for it tonight.

"I have made clear my opposition since joining the Government, and I will continue to lobby colleagues from within government.

"Some of my critics have suggested that I should resign over the issue.

"No doubt they have my best interests at heart.

"But it is clear from what is likely to be a large majority of MPs who are in favour of a third runway that my resignation would have achieved absolutely nothing.

"Hillingdon council have been emphatic that they would rather have me in the Cabinet and fighting for their cause on this and other issues."

He added: "On election night I promised with John McDonnell, the Labour MP, to lie in front of the bulldozers.

"In view of the very considerable difficulties that still face the third runway, its cost and the appalling air and noise pollution entailed by the project, I believe it will be a very long time before we have to make good on that pledge; if indeed a third runway ever comes about."