Rishi Sunak has sparked fury among environmentalists, business, international allies and many of his own MPs by watering down key climate change commitments aimed at reaching net zero by 2050.

The prime minister held a panicked called with cabinet ministers before announcing that the 2030 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars will be pushed back until 2035 at a Downing Street press conference.

Mr Sunak said it “cannot be right to impose such significant costs on working people” and insisted there had been no “meaningful democratic debate” on how Britain reaches net zero.