Rishi Sunak’s big oil gamble

As the prime minister has reneged on the government’s net zero pledges. He plans to push back the ban on new petrol cars, get rid of the requirement for landlords to make their properties energy efficient and tell homeowners they’ll never need to replace their old boilers – he also scrapped a few things which don’t actually exist, such as plans to make you have seven bins and pay taxes on meat.

So what is he playing at?

Sunak’s grand plan doesn’t make sense on the substance. But the rhetoric is easier to understand. We look at the details behind the headlines in this week’s magazine.

Also inside

• For National Libraries Week we check out the state of the country’s vital life-changing institutions
• After a brush with the law, we meet the people offered a new start through hairdressing
• How ‘the great wealth transfer’ from Baby Boomers to Millennials will shape the future of the planet
• TV historian David Olusoga recalls the physical scars that came from growing up in 1970s Britain
• Our recommended autumn reads to curl up with through the longer nights
• The heat is on as kitchen-based drama Boiling Point hits screens
• And Bournemouth vendor Karl speaks about being on a recent cover alongside Prince William and Gazza

Plus much more!