Boris Johnson has secretly given the green light for a £30bn nuclear power station.
The outgoing prime minister had said he would not make major decisions before leaving office.
However, senior government sources say he and chancellor Nadhim Zahawi took a decision in principle to part-fund the proposed construction of the Sizewell C nuclear reactor in Suffolk several weeks ago – without telling other ministers.
The government is proposing to buy a 20% stake in the plant, at a cost to the taxpayer of around £6bn. But experts believe the plans are at risk of cost overruns and delays.
