‘It’s an insult’: drivers react to Rishi Sunak’s electric car U-turn

Many feel decision to delay ban of petrol and diesel cars flies in face of environment and industry alike, while some see it as pragmatism

Rishi Sunak's announcement that he will delay banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by five years to 2035 in a U-turn on the government's climate commitments has triggered international condemnation and anger from industry.

The policy shift came on Wednesday, as the prime minister stated that there would also be a slowdown in the phasing out of gas boilers and that the requirement for landlords to make their properties energy efficient would be scrapped.