Critics rubbish 'seven bins' claim in PM's green speech

Rishi Sunak is under mounting pressure over his commitment to combat the climate crisis after claiming to have “scrapped” government measures that appear to have never existed.

- ARCHIE MITCHELL,  ADAM FORREST

Rowing back on key net zero policies, the PM highlighted a series of “worrying proposals” – including the possibility of taxes on meat, and households required to own seven bins – he claimed he was axing.

But statements from two government departments contradict Mr Sunak’s claims. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was “never the case” seven bins would be needed, while the business department said two years ago it had “no plans” to introduce a meat levy.

Conservative critics angry at Mr Sunak for pushing back the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel car sales – including Boris Johnson ally Zac Goldsmith, a former environment minister – said he had invented “straw men”.

Meanwhile, the business secretary Kemi Badenoch suggested Lord Goldsmith was too rich to understand the costs of net zero. She told LBC the Tory peer has “way more money than pretty much everyone in the UK”.

Mr Sunak could not point to any specific policy proposals for a meat tax or seven different bins when grilled on the issue on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday, saying there was “a range of different things that have been proposed by lots of different people”.

Both Tory MP Simon Clarke and Lord Goldsmith criticised Mr Sunak over the claims, suggesting the policies he is scrapping “simply do not exist”.