A decision on the third runway at Heathrow is expected imminently, as ministers gather this morning to thrash out the final plan on the future of London's largest airport.
Fresh from his drubbing in the Commons yesterday, transport secretary Chris Grayling is expected to make a statement on the matter this lunchtime. It follows a Cabinet sub-committee morning meeting, ahead of the full Cabinet meeting at 9:30am.
If the plan is backed by the Cabinet, it has to be voted upon no later than 21 sitting days after its publication.
But there is still no guarantee it will be waved through when it gets to the Commons: foreign secretary Boris Johnson has long fought expansion, although reports in The Sun suggest he may be out of the country to avoid the vote.
The Uxbridge MP and former London Mayor once pledged to "lie down with the bulldozers" to block the project, favouring instead the so-called Boris Island option.
There are plenty of Conservative backbenchers who are likely to go against the party whip, however, particularly west London MPs whose constituents are up in arms over the plan.
Putney MP and former minister Justine Greening has been particularly vocal in attacking the plans, urging the government to consider projects that would help boost other parts of the country.
And opposition MPs are also expected to block the plans.
Liberal Democrats leader Vince Cable said: “Expansion at Heathrow is an expensive folly that will badly hurt the environment both locally and globally.
“The Conservatives are taking an old fashioned view of aviation that will end up hurting rather than helping regional economies, with a reduction of jobs and slower growth at many airports outside of London.
“The Liberal Democrats will work with Heathrows many and diverse political opponents within parliament to finally put an end to this project once and for all.”
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