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14 | 17Th - 23rd OcTObEr 2014 | UTILITY WEEK Policy & Regulation "Boys will be boys and enjoy build- ing great big wind turbines, or opening nuclear power stations, and very often demand side is an afterthought." Peter Aldous [Conservative] "[Fracking] is a perfectly safe technology but communities are very fear- ful. We need to bribe them, frankly, into getting one or two going and then that fear would be removed." Tim Yeo [Conservative] It's thumbs down for Ofgem if Labour are elected. The party is com- mitted to scrapping the regulator. Quote me Political Agenda Party conference roundup The three big political parties have had their last conferences before the election. Mathew Beech assesses how they performed. A way from the headlines about Mili- band forgetting to mention the econ- omy, Nick Clegg's triple outfit change, or David Cameron's Reckless nightmares, the three major political parties have been trying to appease – and appeal to – their traditional core support. First up was Labour. This should have been a barnstorming conference, building on the headline-grabbing exploits of last year's energy price freeze promise. And yet, there was a sense of anti-climax about it all: Ed Miliband forgetting to men- tion the deficit and immigration summed up the entire thing – something of a damp squib. The conference took a while to warm up, and the big energy sequel to the price freeze was… energy efficiency. Granted, it was a radical ten-year plan to insulate more than five million homes using money currently earmarked for the Energy Company Obligation, but it failed to wow the crowds. Energy efficiency, it seems, is not a sexy subject. Affordability was the key element, as Labour continued to press on with its cost of living crisis agenda – it is one that certainly should help them pick up support when out on the doorsteps. Shadow water minister Maria Eagle even had a pop at the water sector for not doing enough to limit the profits of the water com- panies and support those struggling to pay their bills. It was seen by many as though she was trying to transfer some of the distrust and disdain of the energy sector across to water to boost her, and her party's message. But as supporters headed back to the four corners of the UK, a belief in the party, and more importantly in Miliband, seemed lacking. In Birmingham, the Conservatives unsym- pathetically played the tax-cutting card. This got the rank and file off their feet and cheering the chancellor, George Osborne. And more importantly for those in Conserva- tive Central Office, it should appeal to those tempted to fall for Farage's (increasingly for- midable) charms over at Ukip. However, as it was 12 months ago, the energy and water sectors took a back seat and hardly got a mention. Cameron made only an eight-word reference to energy or cli- mate change in his keynote speech. The Tories are more worried about busi- ness growth, job creation, protecting pen- sions, and cutting income tax. The deafening silence on energy and water speaks volumes about the problems – external and internal – that utilities present for the Tories. Anything that ministers said on energy would have been pounced upon by their opponents and could have led to further internal fractures within the party. The loud vitriol overheard in the conference hall for onshore windfarms, in particular, was as revealing as it was shocking. Slogans: what they really mean Conservatives: Securing a better future for Britain The Tories put their focus largely on helping business, as well as cutting taxes. In terms of energy, their view is essentially that there will be energy to power UK businesses. Labour: Labour's plan for Britain's future Aer the show-stopping price freeze last year, the energy headline was a grand energy efficiency retrofitting programme for five million homes over the next ten years. Lib Dems: Stronger economy, fairer society Trying to retake the sustainability agenda back from the Green party, the Lib Dems are keen to promote the green economy and green jobs, as well as promising to reward those who become more energy efficient. Ukip's conference in Doncaster was upstaged by the govern- ment recalling Parliament to vote on using armed force against Islamic State in Iraq. Leader Nigel Farage got the last laugh a couple of weeks later with the resounding byelection victory of Douglas Carswell, giv- ing Ukip its first MP and guaran- teeing the party once dismissed as "swivel-eyed loons" a starring role in the next general election.