The UK ban on new petrol and diesel cars will be pushed back from 2030 to 2035, Rishi Sunak has announced.

The Prime Minister confirmed the move in a speech from Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Sunak also said that the Government’s ban on gas boilers will be delayed until 2035 – and only when they reach the end of their life.

Mr Sunak insisted he was acting to avoid a public “backlash” by watering down efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

In a speech from Downing Street, the Prime Minister said on Wednesday he would put back a ban on new fossil fuel cars by five years in a major U-turn among a raft of measures.

Mr Sunak insisted the UK was already ahead of allies in reducing emissions and could not impose “unacceptable costs” on British families.

His announcement has faced criticism from green-minded Conservatives, environmentalists, and industry figures, including the car industry.

Car manufacturers have invested in electric vehicle manufacturing on the basis of Britain’s current pledge to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 — a policy that is now in doubt.

Lisa Brankin, chair of Ford UK, said the existing 2030 target for cars was a “vital catalyst to accelerate Ford into a cleaner future”, as she highlighted the company’s £430mn investment in its UK electrification development and manufacturing facilities.

“Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment, and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three,” Brankin said.

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