The three big political parties have had their last conferences before the election. Mathew Beech assesses how they performed.

Away from the headlines about Miliband forgetting to mention the economy, 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 mention 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 companies 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 unsympathetically 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 Conservative Central Office, it should appeal to those tempted to fall for Farage’s (increasingly formidable) 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 climate change in his keynote speech.

The Tories are more worried about business growth, job creation, protecting pensions, 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.

The only hint of an energy policy muttered in Birmingham was that shale gas was a good thing and needed to be explored more. Energy is a thorny issue for the top brass at the party to deal with. Almost a toxic one – why do you think they let the Liberal Democrats take control at the Department of Energy and Climate Change?

And up in a foggy Glasgow, that is what the Lib Dems were very much all about. Taking ownership of the policies they have implemented, the impact they have had on the economy and on the energy sector.

Energy secretary Ed Davey made it very clear that Decc is his department and he will do his damnedest to plough on with the low-carbon agenda despite the ongoing battle with – in particular – communities secretary (and Tory) Eric Pickles.

All the Lib Dem high command are keen to tell the public what they have achieved, and they hope it will be enough to keep them in coalition – with either Labour or the Conservatives. There were some muttered questions as to why it had taken them four-and-a-half years of being the coalition whipping boys before they realised they had to really shout about their achievements.

Part of that, as with Labour and the Conservatives, is about trying to appeal to traditional voters. For the Lib Dems, these are voters who may have gone Green. The sustainability agenda is something ingrained into Lib Dem party history – but something that has suffered by association with the Tories. Clegg and Davey are eager to remind that tranche of lost support that a yellow vote is still a green vote.

Whether the parties have done enough to avoid a coalition – or in the Lib Dem case force a coalition – we will find out in seven months’ time.

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

After 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.

Quote me

“Boys will be boys and enjoy building 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 fearful. We need to bribe them, frankly, into getting one or two going and then that fear would be removed.”

Tim Yeo [Conservative]

Ukip’s conference in Doncaster was upstaged by the government 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, giving Ukip its first MP and guaranteeing the party once dismissed as “swivel-eyed loons” a starring role in the next general election.