Cross-party Heathrow runway talks to begin

Talks are to start on a possible cross-party commission into the future of aviation capacity in south-east England, including a possible third runway at Heathrow, it has emerged, after angry Commons exchanges between David Cameron and Ed Miliband over growth and infrastructure planning.

It was the first clash between the two party leaders since the summer break in what is a brief parliamentary interlude before the conference season.

Cameron said he would not renege on his manifesto pledge to oppose a third runway in this parliament but he sidestepped a Labour backbench call to rule out a third runway as long as he remained Conservative leader.

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has described a plan for a third runway as madness and called on the government to level with the people of London, rather than "undertake a stealthy U-turn".

The independent-minded Tory MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston, Zac Goldsmith, renewed his threat to trigger a byelection in his constituency if Cameron did not end the uncertainty.

Government sources indicated they wanted to set up an all-party commission on airport capacity, but appeared to suggest the report would not be completed until after the next election, a timetable that jarred with Cameron's weekend promise to end the dither over growth.

The shadow transport secretary, Maria Eagle, a year ago proposed an all-party review of airport capacity, but her proposal fell on stony ground.

Labour sources said they were awaiting a new approach from government, but said a timetable that ended after the next election "sounded like a long time".

Johnson said such a commission was a "fudgerama" and an excuse for delay, entailing a huge loss of time.

Ed Miliband, when in the Labour government, had led opposition to a third runway, but was overruled by Gordon Brown.

All parties are trying to balance the needs of the UK economy, Britain's legally enforceable carbon commitments and the demands of powerful west London voters.

At prime minister's questions, Miliband dismissed Tuesday's cabinet reshuffle, saying the top team was "the same old faces, the same old policies", adding it was "a no-change reshuffle". He added if Cameron really wanted to cut through the dither, there was no place like home.

He reeled off statistics to show that previous government pledges to build new roads and social housing had come to nothing. Labour pushed out a dossier claiming major planning decisions are taking longer than under Labour.

But the PM hit back, saying the government was "strong and united", contrasting coalition unity with the alleged disputes between the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, and Miliband.

He cited reports suggesting an imperious Balls orders Miliband to bring him the coffee at shadow cabinet meetings. He claimed "that is just how assertive and butch the leader of the opposition really is".

Cameron said he wanted every government department to be a growth department.

Labour's Dennis Skinner opened the exchanges by claiming the reshuffle "had not raised a ripple of interest" in the public, whereas "the loud boos that greeted the chancellor at the Olympic stadium will haunt him forever".

Balls, the shadow chancellor, reiterated his call for a long term property tax saying he was willing to work with the business secretary Vince Cable to work up detailed proposals. He said he was not interested in the proposal by the deputy prime minister Nick Clegg for a short term tax on the wealthy set out in recent Guardian interview.