RISHI SUNAK was besieged on all sides over his net-zero policy climbdown today, with business leaders and Tory backbenchers joining environmental campaigners in calls for him to think again.

The Prime Minister revealed details of his leaked U-turn, announcing that the government is abandoning plans to ban new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 and gas boilers from 2035, key parts of Britain’s climate change commitments.

The shift is driven by cynical Conservative calculations after the unforeseen Tory win in the Uxbridge by-election indicated that backpedalling on green issues might resonate with parts of the electorate.