The UK government said Wednesday it would delay a ban on the sale of new gas and diesel cars by five years, angering carmakers who warned the move would undermine the industry’s efforts to switch to electric vehicles.

The delay was announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he watered down some of the government’s green energy policies, despite fierce opposition from climate campaigners, members of his own party and business.

“We seem to have defaulted to an approach that will impose unacceptable costs on hard-pressed British families,” Sunak said. If the government stuck to its current climate policies “we risk losing the consent of the British people.”

Sunak said people would be able to buy new gasoline and diesel cars until 2035, instead of 2030, aligning the UK with countries such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Canada and Sweden.>>>