Frans Timmermans urges European left to unite against right’s climate backlash | Dutch politician and former EU deputy criticises ‘astonishing’ policy U-turns by countries including UK

“I think the imminent danger is an attempt by the right to say – and Sunak is a case in point – ‘we cannot afford climate policy because it’s too costly, especially for people who don’t have a lot to spend’,” said Timmermans.

“It’s quite astonishing to see people who generally have not shown a lot of consideration for people with low incomes to all of a sudden become the champions of people with low incomes, fighting climate policy,” he added.

“They are doing it for clear economic interests. The threat to progressives, to the left, is that this contradiction between social justice and climate justice is exploited by the right and is divisive for the left.”

Divide and conquer, it works so well unfortunately. And the right shamelessly exploit it.