As Labour and the Conservatives fight over net zero, what are they actually planning?

Rishi Sunak is due to announce millions of pounds to fund carbon-capture technology in the hope of cutting emissions – but is also making a bid to support motorists

Senior Tories have called on ministers to delay or scrap measures they fear will add to the strain on household finances (Getty)

The details of the government’s net zero drive – and Labour’s plans should it win power – have come under intense scrutiny amid the fallout from the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election.

Senior Tories, including Dame Priti Patel, have called on ministers to delay or scrap measures they fear will add to the strain on household finances, such as the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars after 2030.

The expansion of London’s ultra-low-emission zone (Ulez) has also become a flashpoint in the Labour Party, with Sir Keir Starmer’s top team piling pressure on the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, to rethink the move after it was blamed for the Uxbridge defeat.