A BAN on petrol and diesel car sales from 2030 WILL go ahead, Michael Gove insisted today.
The Levelling Up Secretary sparked a second day of mass confusion over which of the government's expensive green policies will be kept or dumped.
Yesterday Rishi Sunak confirmed Net Zero policies have been placed under review amid fears of “unnecessarily giving people more hassle and more costs in their lives”.
But ministers and No10 have tied themselves in knots over where to draw the line in the race to carbon neutrality.
The PM dropped a major hint that the 2030 ban on new petrol or diesel cars could be pushed back.
Asked if he backed the policy, Mr Sunak would only say "of course Net Zero is important to me”.
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But today Mr Gove described the ban as "immovable".
He told Radio 4: "We're committed to maintaining our policy of ensuring that by 2030 there are no new petrol and diesel cars being sold.
"I'm sure there are some people who would like to change that policy, I understand. But that policy remains."
Alongside the car ban, plans to make landlords spend thousands making rental properties green by 2028 is also under review.
The Levelling Up Secretary admitted ministers are investigating how to "ease off" the pressure on the rental sector.
Mr Gove said the phasing out of gas boilers for heat pumps would "impose costs".
He added: "We're looking at how we can mitigate the impact on individuals.
"I think we are asking a little too much of them and therefore we will give them a greater degree of breathing space."
The major re-think of green policies was triggered by last week's by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
In West London the Tories scraped victory because of huge local resentment towards Sadiq Khan's Ulez expansion.
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As the PM faces dire polls, party strategists believe softening green rules set to cost hard-up households a pretty penny could improve Tory ratings ahead of the next general election.
Low traffic neighbourhoods and the green levies attached to energy bills are also understood to be under review.
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