The ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 was thrown into uncertainty on Monday after Rishi Sunak failed to publicly back the policy.
The Prime Minister declined to explicitly say that the ban would take effect that year when asked, for the second time this month.
On Monday morning, Andrew Mitchell, the foreign minister, also declined to fully commit to the 2030 ban remaining government policy in the future.
Downing Street sources moved to play down suggestions that a change was imminent, saying Mr Sunak was not currently considering a change.
However, senior Tories are calling for a rethink on some net zero measures after Labour failed to win the Uxbridge by-election amid a voter backlash to London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), which is being expanded next month by Sadiq Khan, the Labour Mayor of London.
Other green policies such as the effective ban on the installation of new gas boilers, which will kick in for newly built homes in 2025 and all homes from 2035, are also in the crosshairs of some Tories.
On Monday, both Mr Sunak and Downing Street figures toughened their rhetoric on protecting households from any immediate financial impact caused by efforts to make the UK a “net zero” carbon emitter by 2050.
During the same brief TV interview, Mr Sunak was asked to confirm the 2030 new petrol car sale ban and the 2050 net zero target. His response only focussed on the latter point.
Mr Sunak said: “Of course net zero is important to me. So yes, we’re going to keep making progress towards our net zero ambitions and we’re also going to strengthen our energy security.
“I think the events over the last year or two have demonstrated the importance of investing more in home-grown energy, whether that’s more nuclear or offshore wind. I think that’s what people want to see and that’s what I’m going to deliver.”
The spokesman said: “That remains our commitment. I think as you heard from the Prime Minister this morning, what we want to do is ensure that this approach is proportionate and pragmatic and doesn’t unfairly impact the public.”
Asked about the gas boiler ban, they said: “That remains our commitment. But it’s obviously right that we consider how technology evolves over time as we progress towards 2035.”
Asked earlier in the day if the ban could be pushed back in the short term, Mr Mitchell told Times Radio: “Well, I think the important thing is to wait for any announcement from the Government but as I say, the measures we have taken are affordable, they have been very carefully thought through and we are setting a good lead in this matter.”
Plans for net zero
The 2030 ban is only on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, meaning they can still be sold second hand. Also new hybrid cars, part petrol and part electric, can be sold until 2035.
The date of the ban was brought forward by Boris Johnson in a flagship announcement for the Cop 26 UN climate change summit, which was hosted in Glasgow in 2021.
The European Union’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is from 2035, meaning that if the UK delayed its ban by five years it would still be moving as quickly as Brussels.
But critics of any delay on climate change measures have pointed to the record high temperatures this month, and wildfires in Greece, to argue that it would be the wrong time to water down commitments.
A senior Downing Street source moved to quash speculation of an imminent change to the 2030 ban, saying a change “is not being looked at by any level from the Prime Minister down”.
Tories attempting to plot the path to an unlikely election win next year took note of the voter backlash last week to the expansion of Ulez, which levies a £12.50 daily charge on polluting cars.
A wider search for green policy “wedge issues” that can help peel voters away from Labour is expected in the coming month, as Mr Sunak’s focus increasingly turns to the election in the year ahead.
