This afternoon Labour has its debate on forcing energy companies to pass on lower oil prices to their customers. The potency of the political attack has been blunted rather by the party’s admission that its energy price freeze is in fact a cap, rather than an endless promise that no matter how fabulously low prices already are, Labour will freeze them. But the Opposition Day debate is designed to suggest that the Tories don’t care about people’s energy bills. The motion reads:
‘That this House notes the policy of the Opposition to freeze energy prices until 2017, ensuring that prices can fall but not rise; and calls on the Government to bring forward fast-track legislation immediately to put a statutory duty on the energy regulator for Great Britain to ensure that energy suppliers pass on price cuts to consumers when wholesale costs fall, if suppliers fail to act.’
That is a motion written so that the government cannot support it.
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