Prime Minister, thank you for your time. I was struck — you talked about backing British industry. You've talked about a theory of growth. You've talked about the delight of the ferry here in Liverpool and you want to see business optimizing all conditions. So, you talked about every postcode. What about TW6 Heathrow Airport? Why the delay on that?
There's been a consultation and it's really important, given it's such a decision of importance for the whole country, to take time to see the outcome of the consultation. Obviously Heathrow Airport is a huge economic driver for the country, but there are concerns and those concerns need to be considered alongside that.
It's 100,000 jobs, a £40 billion injection into the economy, 60% of which is to be filled outside London and the southeast. What's not to like, Prime Minister?
Well, ask some of the members of parliament in London. The mayor of London. There are other voices who...
So, the mayor of London has more sway than you, Prime Minister.
Well, no, but it's a very important voice that I want to...
How can we have growth if we haven't got a third runway? Schiphol, Amsterdam six, Paris four, London.
I'm not saying that I've taken a position. You know, it's important that where there is a consultation and then potentially a planning application, I need to handle that carefully.
I'm well, I'm on the record as saying that Heathrow could be a good idea. I have said that in the past. In my past role as mayor of Greater Manchester, though, I looked at the second runway at Manchester and it has capacity. So I think we do need to have a wider discussion about what is the right airport configuration for the country in the long run and where airports have got capacity, should that be used first before we allow further airport expansion. But I am on this one having to say that I am listening to both sides of the argument. There is a strong case for it, but we do need to hear those...
Oh, certainly, of course. Yeah.
You talked a lot about growth. You talked a lot about the National Health Service. You talked about your family circumstances. Precious little on defence. Now, I don't expect you to comment or give a running commentary, but three days ago, it looks like we might have had some kind of terrorist event in Fairford. Now, you once said national security not at the expense of social security. Why nothing more on defence, Prime Minister?
I did speak about defence today and I mentioned our NATO obligations. I've talked a lot about defence, Nick, since coming into this job. I've made a commitment to fully fund the defence investment plan and that will happen. I was within two weeks of taking office and was in Ukraine supporting President Zelensky. I was at the UN last week talking about issues related to defence and our national security. It has taken actually more of my time probably since I became prime minister.
Then why didn't we hear it just now?
Well, obviously the commitment. There's only so much you can put on the table in a conference speech. There were big themes that I put on the table. I put forward, I would say, a prospectus that the British public haven't been offered in a long time. I did it with honesty. I did it with clarity. And I've set out a 10-year plan for Britain in which I've demonstrated how we can meet our defence commitments by reforming welfare, building more council homes so we can reduce housing benefit, taking a different approach getting young people into work so we can reduce the amount we spend on out-of-work benefits, and that is the route then to meet our NATO commitments.
You did speak about honesty. You also talked about principle, and principle has regard to Israel and Palestine. Your senior colleague Ed Miliband has talked about the ethnic cleansing that's gone on in Gaza. Has there been a genocide in Gaza?
Well, we carefully consider these matters and that word was not used in Ed Miliband's statement to the House of Commons because always the approach of the British government is to take the lead from the courts and when the courts have made a determination...
You've never waited for a court decision before, Prime Minister. You've been a fair...
On something as serious as that, Nick, I think that is the case and...
The issue is still under consideration, isn't it, from the international... You mentioned the London mayor, Lord Khan. He says there has been a genocide. What would you say to Lord Khan?
In my position, I think it's right that I wait and I base what I say on those who've studied the evidence and the legal position. And it's something that I think is important given the feeling around these issues. I did agree with Ed Miliband to talk about the illegal occupation and the war crimes that we believe have been committed. So we did call it where we have evidence and where we believe it's clear we have said that. I'm not saying that it is or isn't at this point in time. That hasn't yet been determined. But we will take our lead from the courts.
