Theresa May unveils energy price cap plan as prankster and coughing fit mar conference speech
4 min read
Theresa May today unveiled plans to cap household energy bills in a conference speech overshadowed by a lengthy coughing fit and a prankster handing her a mock P45.
Consumers who are on standard variable tariffs having their charges limited either by the Ofgem watchdog or a new law to be introduced in the Commons next week.
The Prime Minister also confirmed a £2bn scheme to build an extra 25,000 council homes over the next four years, as well as an independent review of Mental Health Act to see how it can be made to work better.
But the 70-minute address will be remembered for an extraordinary series of events which further damaged Mrs May's beleaguered leadership.
Firstly, a prankster made it to the front of the stage and was able to hand the Prime Minister a fake P45 form. He later told reporters that Boris Johnson had asked him to do it.
Mrs May was then hit by a lengthy coughing fit, forcing her to stop her speech on several occasions. Chancellor Philip Hammond even had to take to the stage to hand her a cough sweet.
And in a further blow, two of the letters fell off the 'Building A Country That Works For Everyone' backdrop behind her.
Despite the mishaps, delegates in the packed conference hall gave the Prime Minister a standing ovation and her aides later claimed she was pleased with how it had gone.
"It was a good speech and she was happy with the way it went," said her spokesman. "We clapped her in and she was pleased with the way it went - it was an important speech for her."
On her health, the spokesman said: "The PM has got her conference cold a little early, but she is fine. Since she's been here she's done 28 interviews and spoken at 19 receptions and that's taken a bit of a toll on her voice, but she's totally fine."
Capping energy prices was a Conservative manifesto commitment, and the Prime Minister said the current set-up "punishes loyalty with higher prices".
She said: "The most loyal customers are often those with lower incomes: the elderly, people with lower qualifications and people who rent their homes. Those who, for whatever reason, are unable to find the time to shop around.
"That's why next week this government will publish a draft bill to put a price cap on energy bills. Meeting our manifesto promise, and bringing an end to rip-off energy prices once and for all."
The Prime Minister said she wanted to see "a new generation of council houses to help fix our broken housing market".
Under the plan, the size of the Government's affordable homes programme will be increased by £2bn to £9.1bn.
She said: "I want to send the clearest possible message to housebuilders. We, the Government, will make sure the land is available. We’ll make sure our young people have the skills you need. In return, it is time for you to do your duty to Britain and build the homes our country needs."
Mrs May continually returned to her theme of renewing the "British Dream" that each generation will do better than the one before.
"That is the story of our party, that is the story of our country," she said. "And that is the resolve and determination we need to turn to face the future today. So let us go forward together - confident in our values, clear in our vision, sure in our purpose.
"With a rich, ambitious agenda to follow, a bold, exciting mission to pursue. Let us fulfil our duty to the British people, let us fulfil our duty to our country, let us fulfil our duty to Britain. Let us renew the British dream."
Businesses gave the speech a cool response. A spokesman for Scottish and Southern Energy said: "SSE believes in competition not caps, so if there is to be any intervention it should be simple to administer, time-limited, and maintain the principles of a competitive energy market to best serve customers’ interests."
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