Rishi Sunak delays petrol car ban in major shift on green policies

Rishi Sunak has delayed a ban on new petrol and diesel cars in a major change to the government's approach to achieving net zero by 2050.

The prime minister announced exemptions and delays to several key green policies, alongside a 50% increase in cash incentives to replace gas boilers.

The government could not impose "unacceptable costs" linked to reducing emissions on British families, he said.

It's prompted fierce criticism from the opposition and some industry bosses.

Mr Sunak also faced attacks from his own party, but many Conservative MPs came out in favour of the new direction, alongside some in the car industry.

·?????? What does net zero mean?

·?????? Cars, boilers and other key takeaways from Sunak's speech

The changes come as Mr Sunak seeks to create dividing lines with opposition parties ahead of a general election, expected next year.

Framing the changes as "pragmatic and proportionate", the prime minister has unpicked several of Boris Johnson's key policies, many of them launched when Mr Sunak was serving as chancellor.

And the political choices outlined in his speech preview more announcements later this autumn, as Mr Sunak promised he would set out "a series of long term decisions".

In a speech from Downing Street on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said moving too fast on green policies "risks losing the consent of the British people".

Among the key changes announced were:

·?????? A five-year delay in the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, meaning a requirement for all new cars to be "zero emission" will not come into force until 2035

·?????? A nine-year delay in the ban on new fossil fuel heating for off-gas-grid homes to 2035

·?????? Raising the Boiler Upgrade Grant by 50% to ￡7,500 to help households who want to replace their gas boilers

·?????? The ban on the sale of new gas boilers in 2035 remains, but the government will introduce new exemption for poorer households

·?????? Scrapping the requirement on landlords to ensure all rental properties had a Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of grade C or higher, from 2025.

Mr Sunak ran the changes past a hastily-organised Cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, after proposals were?revealed by the BBC.

Responding to the statement, Labour unequivocally committed itself to keeping the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

Shadow environment secretary Steve Reed said without the ban the UK would miss its target to hit net zero - this is the point at which a country is no longer adding to the overall amount of harmful greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Mr Reed said the prime minster had "sold out the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st Century" for Britain "to lead the world in transition to well-paid secured new jobs of the green economy".

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf said the move was "utterly unforgiveable" and "very firmly takes the UK out of the global consensus".

Speaking from a UN summit on climate action, which Mr Sunak had declined to attend, Mr Yousaf said: "The same day the whole world is gathered to talk about what more we can do, we have a UK prime minister rolling back on [the UK's] commitments."

The BBC's Chris Mason says Mr Sunak and his advisers will hope that beyond the criticism, many voters might quietly conclude he is onto something and being reasonable.

Mr Sunak's proposals are dividing his party, Parliament, and many in the country, but the PM will be looking at Labour's lead in the opinion polls and concluding he has no choice but to gamble.

?