I've just returned from the Lib Dem Party Conference where I witnessed a strange mix of emotions. Excitement and delight at the developments which have placed them in Government and, thanks to their leader, punched well above their weight in terms of policy and influence.  Yet many councillors seemed deeply uneasy at the reality of savage public service cuts and the effect they will have on poorer people.

As one outspoken councillor put it at a policy roundtable about young people I attended - ''We're cutting the deficit now so that future generations won't have to suffer our mess, but future generations are already suffering because cutting the deficit means cutting support services.'' In the refreshing conspiracy light Lib Dem style, these fears were all freely voiced to the DPM and seem to be taken in good part - Nick Clegg even turned up to a fringe where one of the main speakers had been asking him awkward questions during his opening speech. These are however, very real fears and let's hope they are taken note of too.

On a lighter note, the latest deficit reduction analogy - a cabbie in Liverpool to Nick Clegg's mate: ''If someone is sick in the back of my cab, I don't blame it on the woman with the mop and bucket who clears it up.''

I was speaking at a Fabians breakfast fringe meeting at the Labour party conference this morning. It was on green investment and also speaking were Emily Thornberry, shadow for climate change and Michael Jacobs, former no.10 adviser on climate change.

There's a consensus over the importance of inward investment but also anxiety that massive cuts to departmental budgets bring instability and insecurity to the sector. As Emily pointed out, for a small department like the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), 40 per cent cuts will reduce it to nuclear clean ups and that's about it.

There was a lot of support for retrofitting and skilling up people to deliver energy improvements to homes - giving us the tools to tackle our own energy consumption. I'd like to see energy reduction embedded into government policy at all levels. An example - the Winter Fuel Allowance needs to focus at least as much on saving energy, not just meeting the cost of using more. The funds should be reorientated, so the payment can be used to insulate homes (perhaps with two for one vouchers?) rather then simply helping people, however needy, as they consume more fuel.  We need to start joining up policy on green issues if we are to get the most from the pared-down budgets that are still available.