Parliament backs third runway at Heathrow with strong majority in the absence of Boris Johnson

Parliament on Monday night voted in favour of building a third runway at Heathrow Airport in a historic decision taken after decades of delays.

The bill passed the House of Commons with a large majority of 296, as MPs from both Labour and the Conservatives defied their leaderships in large numbers. 415 voted in favour, compared to only 119 against.

The vote paves the way for the controversial third runway, although the start of work may be delayed further by legal challenges from environmental groups and local residents and councils.

Read more: BoJo tells constituents: My resignation would have achieved nothing

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the vote was “not the end.” He said: “As mayor, I’m joining the legal action brought by local authorities in opposition to Heathrow expansion.”

The UK’s largest business groups have generally been in favour of the new runway.

Stephen Martin, director general of the Institute of Directors, said: “It has been a long time coming, but businesses will be relieved that expansion of the UK’s airport capacity has passed this crucial hurdle.

“This vote sends a clear message that there is parliamentary support for infrastructure projects that can deliver growth and jobs.”

Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said the move was “50 years in the making”. She said: “This is a truly historic decision that will open the doors to a new era in the UK’s global trading relationships.”

Read more: Second minister in a week quits Theresa May’s government

However, the Heathrow vote split both major parties.

Multiple Conservative party MPs rebelled. Greg Hands voted against the third runway, defying the government whip after last week resigning as a minister.

Meanwhile, foreign secretary Boris Johnson was absent from the vote. Johnson, the MP for Uxbridge in west London, had previously vowed he will lie down in front of bulldozers rather than allow another runway.

While he may still be able to fulfil his promise when the building work begins, Johnson on Monday missed his opportunity to try to prevent the runway in the Commons, citing a meeting in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Labour MPs were allowed a free vote, with 95 voting against the new runway.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell’s seat of Hayes and Harlington is one of the constituencies directly affected by any Heathrow expansion. “I think this is a defining vote on climate change,” he said, speaking from the back benches because of his constituents’ direct interest. “We’ve got to restrict the growth of aviation.”

The Scottish National Party abstained on the vote, saying that the government had “failed to provide sufficient guarantees over any benefits they claimed it would bring to Scotland”.

Read more: Sadiq Khan vows to join legal action against Heathrow third runway