When it comes to green, our leaders cannot afford to fiddle while Rhodes burns

The Conservatives are diluting their environmental pledges – but they misunderstand just how popular climate policies are, writes Andrew Grice

Voters are worried about the perceived threat of climate change (Getty)

In the absence of many dividing lines with Labour, especially on the economy, the Conservatives have seized on the Uxbridge by-election result and decided to become a paler shade of green than Keir Starmer’s party.

However, Rishi Sunak is playing with fire by diluting the government’s measures to combat climate change. This will not only harm the planet – it will also damage the Tories’ chances at next year’s general election.

Many Tories have convinced themselves the rethink will be popular. Some ministers believe ditching the green measures costing people money will help persuade the disgruntled natural Tories who stayed at home in last week’s by-elections in Selby and Ainsty and in Somerton and Frome to turn out at the general election. They calculate that Starmer’s party will not let him man-mark Sunak’s move to get rid of what David Cameron once called the “green crap”.