Fifty six members of parliament (MP) in the UK are supporting a new runway for South East England, as the nation’s parliamentary election campaign gets underway.

The MPs have signed the pro-runway capacity Let Britain Fly campaign pledge, calling for a decision once the UK government’s Airports Commission publishes its report after the parliamentary election on Thursday 7 May. 

The Airports Commission was set up by the government to examine runway capacity. It will report after the election. In 2014, it shortlisted Heathrow Airport and at Gatwick Airport as airports that could have additional capacity. MPs whose constituencies include or are affected by Gatwick, Heathrow and the defunct Manston Airport all signed the pledge. Sir Roger Gale, for Manston, Henry Smith, for Gatwick and Mary Macleod’s constituency is near Heathrow. On 30 March, parliament was dissolved and a parliamentary general election was called. Opinion polls has been inconclusive and it is predicted that no party will gain an overall majority of seats.