A CONSERVATIVE MP has called for Northern politicians to support the expansion of Heathrow, saying it could help create 31,600 jobs and up to £25.5 billion in economic benefits in the North.

As a decision on whether to grant Heathrow a controversial third runway was postponed until the autumn, Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake said an independent report based on Airport Commission figures had found extending Heathrow would empower cities across the North, with better and more frequent global connections.

Mr Hollinrake, who founded one of the UK’s largest estate agency chains, said the £17.6bn expansion must include direct rail routes linking the airport to the North, ideally using high-speed trains, which could cut journey times to Heathrow from Yorkshire cities to about one hour and 20 minutes.

He said steel fabricating firm Severfield, based at Dalton, near Thirsk, which has undertaken 100 projects at Heathrow since the early 1990s, was just one of a plethora of Northern companies which could benefit from the airport’s expansion.

Mr Hollinrake added: “This is a vital element of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse programme, which will be a generational opportunity to tackle the structural imbalances which has kept the North so far behind the South, for far too long.

“Now is the time for government to show it is ready to push boundaries and allow the British people to take full advantage of a growing economy. For people and businesses in the North and all over the country the benefits of Heathrow are clear.”