May proposing energy price cap ahead of UK polls

London

UK Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party is proposing to cap household gas and electricity prices as part of its campaign platform for the June 8 election, adopting an issue promoted by the opposition Labour Party in the last election.

Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green confirmed the plan after the Sunday Times newspaper reported that the Conservative manifesto will set out a policy of ordering energy regulator Ofgem to set a maximum price for the 70 per cent of households that pay suppliers' standard tariffs. That would cut £100 (S$179) off the average family's annual utility bill, the newspaper said.

The move is similar to a proposal made by former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband before the 2015 election. It signals a further pitch by Mrs May to woo Labour voters in key swing districts, with the Conservatives…