Minister Greg Hands resigns from government to vote against Heathrow expansion

International trade minister Greg Hands has announced his resignation over his opposition to a third runway at Heathrow.

MPs will vote on expanding the west London airport on Monday, with a third runway something a number of senior Conservatives have actively campaigned against for years.

Mr Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham, confirmed he would honour a pledge to oppose Heathrow expansion after it was confirmed Tory MPs would not be allowed a free vote.

He wrote on Twitter: "As the government will be whipping the vote on Monday, this means I am resigning from the government.

"It has been an honour to serve the prime minister (and her predecessor) for the last seven years and I wish the PM & the government every continuing success."

Downing Street said Mr Hands had "served the government with great ability and distinction over several years, and we thank him for all of his work".

A spokesman added: "This government is committed to expanding airport capacity at Heathrow - this is an important decision which will play a crucial role in securing the future of global Britain."

Mr Hands has been replaced by prime minister Theresa May's parliamentary private secretary George Hollingberry.

The government's determination to proceed with a third runway presents a number of Conservatives with a difficult decision.

Boris Johnson once pledged to "lie down in front of the bulldozers" if a third runway was given the green light.

But it has been confirmed the foreign secretary will miss Monday's Commons vote, meaning he does not have to choose between his ministerial career and his opposition to a third runway.

A source confirmed Mr Johnson will be "out of the country", but declined to give further details for "security reasons".

Mrs May later confirmed her foreign secretary's absence, claiming he would the "living embodiment of global Britain" and working abroad on Monday.

She added: "He will be out there actually showing the UK's continued presence around the world and the work that the UK continues to do around the world with our diplomacy, working on so many of the issues and challenges that we face across the world today."

The PM said the government was committed to expanding Heathrow because it was important for "the ambitions we have as a trading nation for the future".

Officials say a third runway will lead to 114,000 extra jobs around the airport by 2030.

There was confusion earlier over whether the foreign secretary would, in fact, be in the country for the vote.

There were suggestions the ex-London mayor might attend a meeting of European Union foreign ministers instead - a convenient scheduling clash that would avoid a torturous decision for Mr Johnson.

But a written ministerial statement tabled on Thursday said Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan will be going.

The waters were further muddied when Sky News contacted the Foreign Office press office to ask the department if it could confirm who will be attending - and they said they did not know.

Labour's shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said: "Greg Hands's resignation piles the pressure on Boris Johnson who promised his constituents he would 'lie down in front of the bulldozers' to stop a third runway.

"Instead he is jetting off to Luxembourg on Monday to avoid the vote because he is too weak to stand by his promises.

"Labour opposes a third runway at Heathrow because it doesn't meet our four tests and we are calling for a free vote for all parties on Monday."