Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a big U-turn on Britain’s climate commitments has divided newspaper front pages in the UK. The move to push back a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and delay the phasing out of gas boilers was characterised by the Guardian as a “green bonfire”, to close the gap with Labour before the next election.
The Sun was victorious about the policy shift. Under the headline “Given us a brake”, a pun on the slogan of its lobbying on the issue, it reported that Sunak had praised their “brilliant” campaign, saying “families shouldn’t have to pay an unaffordable price to reach net zero”.
The Daily Mail was similarly supportive, if a little less gleeful about its own reporting. It splashed on the line that Sunak was sparing families from the “ruinous cost of net zero”. In a subheading, the paper gave its approval to the political approach, writing: “PM takes on eco-zealots in bold move that could transform Tory fortunes.”
The Financial Times led with “Sunak sparks business backlash after U-turn on net zero pledges”, saying the announcement had led to civil war in the Conservative party over the environment. It also reported car manufacturers saying the news was a “huge setback” for the industry, which needed stability.
Under the headline “Sunak spares public net zero pain”, the Telegraph’s write-up is largely uncritical and quotes swathes of the prime minister’s speech but is run alongside an analysis of upset within the Conservative party over the change in policy on the environment.
The Times was less supportive, calling the move “Sunak’s green targets gamble”. It led with quotes from the prime minister about the “unacceptable cost” of green policies but detailed the backlash he faced from within his party and beyond.
The i called the decision “Sunak’s net zero election gamble” with a green-tinged photograph of Sunak looking on and the subheading “Green pledge U-turn sparks Tory fury”.
For the Express, it was “honest Rishi” saying the nation “won’t and can’t pay the net zero bill”, saying he’d pushed back green targets that “hard-up voters cannot afford in the cost of living crisis”.
The Mirror was the only paper not to mention the news on its front, choosing to lead instead on its own exclusive about nuclear-testing veterans launching a legal claim to gain access to their medical records.