Now defunct Phones 4U founder and biggest donor to the Conservative Party John Caudwell has retracted his support for prime minister Rishi Sunak after the net zero policy U-turn.
Speaking with the Sunday Times, Caudwell said there is “no chance whatsoever” of him backing after Sunak announced a delay on the 2030 ban on the sales of new petrol and diesel cars back to 2035.
He also unveiled an ease on heat pump transition and no new energy efficiency regulations on homes.
Although he “fundamentally believes in Tory principles,” environmental concerns sit at the top of his list.
“The environmental apocalypse is coming and it’s coming very, very rapidly,” he said.
“I am very worried about the future … [although] it won’t affect me because I’ll be long dead and buried,” Caudwell added.
Subscribe to Sustainability Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest sustainability news sent straight to your inbox everyday
Caudwell donated £500,000 to the Tories before the 2019 election.
He told The Sunday Times: “If Rishi sticks to this, would I donate to the Conservative Party? Absolutely not. No chance whatsoever with the decisions they are making at the moment.”
“Would I switch to Labour? The answer to that is very simple: I will support any party that I believe will do the right thing for Britain going forward,” Caudell continued.
Caudwell said of the changes: “I’m beyond shocked and I’m horrified. This really moves the Conservatives back a long way. Whatever chance they had of winning the next election, this moves them backwards … it shows inconsistency. It shows [a] lack of determination. It’s depressing.”
In a comment piece to be published in The Sunday Times, he wrote: “This newfound delay in our net zero target is nothing short of self-sabotage, both environmentally and economically.”
