23/05/2014 BBC News at Six

Today at 6pm: UKIP and Labour make the biggest gains in the local

elections in England. UKIP's Nigel Farage says his party

will have to be taken seriously in next year's general election. There

are areas across the country where now we have an imprint in local

government and we are under the first past the post system. We are

serious players. There were significant losses for

the Conservatives, many caused by the UKIP surge. Mainly immigration.

I want similar to what I grew up with for England. At times, you feel

a stranger in your own country, you know.

And Labour performed strongly in London but missed some targets

elsewhere. We'll be asking what the results

tell us, with a year to go before the general election.

Also on the programme: A major fire in Glasgow destroys one of

Scotland's most important historical buildings.

The US Coastguard prepares to abandon the search for the British

sailors who went missing a week ago. And the remains of King Richard III

will be buried in Leicester. The Labour Party are the big winners

in the capital, seizing control of five town halls.

And we find out why the UKIP bandwagon didn't roll into the

capital. Good evening.

Most of the votes in yesterday's local elections in England have been

counted. UKIP and Labour have gained most seats, the Conservatives and

Lib Dems have suffered losses. Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, said it

meant his party would be "serious players" at next year's general

election. Let's look at the number of council seats gained or lost,

with some results still to come. Labour gained 260 seats with their

strongest performance in the London region.

The Conservatives lost 187 seats, many in areas where UKIP did well.

The Lib Dems had a difficult night, losing 251 seats.

And while UKIP gained 145 councillors, it still doesn't

control any local authorities. If the elections had been held

across the UK, the projected share of the vote would have been Labour

31%, the Conservatives 29%, UKIP 17% and the Liberal Democrats 13%. James

Landale has been following the results.

Westminster henhouse, and boy is he Westminster henhouse, and boy is he

ruffling some feathers. Here in Essex, and across England, Nigel

Farage's party made gains at the expense of others, confirming

UKIP's status as a fourth force in English politics. It may not run any

councils or have any MPs, but he says it is clearly here to stay.

They will say it is a protest. Across England, UKIP had a smile

They will say it is a protest. forced Tories out of power in places

like Basildon and Brentwood. They danced as they ousted Labour in

great Yarmouth. And as they took seats in Labour heartlands like

Rotherham, they even sang. Sort of. Another one bites the dust. A solid

performance right across the country. In big Tory and Labour

areas we are scoring consistently in the high 20%. Very pleased. But that

meant others were not pleased. The Conservatives lost almost 200

councillors and 11 councils, including many town halls in

Margaret Thatcher's heartland, as Essex man became UKIP man. And while

demands for a packed with UKIP were dismissed, some urged their leader

to do more to tackle the threat it posed. David Cameron says he gets

it, but I think it has proved he needs to get it a bit more. We

handled them badly, first ignoring and then insulting them. We have to

convince the electorate we are serious about reforming the EU. The

better news for them was that the Tories held on in some key Labour

targets, such as Swindon in the south and Tamworth in the Midlands,

giving their leader at least some reasons to be cheerful. Our vote

share went up compared to last year, we have more councillors than

any other party, we won against Labour in seats in Birmingham, took

Kingston of the Liberal Democrats in London, we held Swindon, Tamworth,

many others that have been Labour for many years. But some councils

have been Labour for just hours. They won some in the south, such as

here in Cambridge and Crawley. They did well in London, taking four

extra councils. The party leader has accepted they had not done well

enough to ensure victory at a general election, and some in the

party said they had got UKIP wrong. They called it wrong. We should have

taken the fight to UKIP from the beginning and we never did. I lost

count of the number of people canvassing over the last two or

three days who said, you all need a big kicking. As he celebrated in

east London, Ed Miliband promised to respond to that kicking, not with a

tougher line on Europe or immigration, but with greater

understanding of the concerns of voters. I want to say to those

people today, I understand you're feeling, I understand your

discontent. I am determined that Labour shows you, over the next 12

months, how we can change your lives for the better. The Lib Dems could

also do better. They saw over 250 councillors defeated and lost

control of Kingston and Portsmouth, but they insisted they were holding

ground where they have MPs and activists, like here in Cheltenham

and other southern strongholds. It is never easy to see dedicated,

hard-working Liberal Democrat councillors lose ground. But in the

areas where we have MPs, where we have good organisation on the ground

and can get our message across, we are doing well. But it is this man

who is doing better. With a pint in his hand, he is disrupting

conventional politics and confounding his opponents, who are

struggling to know what to do with him.

As James mentioned, one of UKIP's most fertile areas last night was

Essex, the county often considered a useful guide to Conservative

prospects at a general election. Councils in Basildon, Castle Point

and Southend-on-Sea moved from Conservative to no overall control,

as UKIP picked up support. Our political correspondent Vicki Young

has spent the day in Basildon. UKIP said they would cause a

political earthquake. Certainly the political landscape is more

unpredictable than it was. That is an achievement for a party that does

not have a single MP, does not run a single council. Talking to jubilant

UKIP supporters in Essex, they think that is all about to change in the

general election next year. There is flash photography in my report.

It is less than 30 miles from Westminster but for many in this

part of Essex, the main political parties might as well be in a

different country. Voters say they are out of touch and ignoring the

concerns of ordinary people. There is a list of grievances from a lack

of housing to poor job suspects. But in Tony's cafe, it is UKIP's message

on cutting immigration that is appealing to voters. I want similar

to what I grew up with for England. That is it. It is getting totally

overtaken by people that I can't link with, I feel disconnected from.

There is a disconnection from society. What about the other main

parties who say they will deal with immigration? They have said that for

years and have done nothing about it. It is not about being racist. I

don't care what colour people are, but like Australia, we need some

sort of entry system so that we have a benefit of people coming here, not

so much coming here and it is a free for all. Nigel Farage, he speaks

normally, like normal people. He is not frightened of upsetting people

and he says what he thinks. As for the man of the moment, Nigel Farage

is enjoying every minute of his success. On a whistle-stop tour of

Essex, taking in a couple of pubs, of course, he met some newly elected

councillors, many of whom have no experience in local government. I'd

do not want to tell them what they can and can't do. But that can lead

to trouble. Yes, but we are individuals. Sometimes UKIP people

say things and there is a huge hue and cry, but we are real people with

real opinions and I would much rather that than some sort of

monochrome politically correct nothingness. But those real opinions

have led to accusations that UKIP is a racist party. Those attacks were

out of order, he says. Scrutineers fine but it needs to be balanced and

fair. There were points in this campaign when it looked like a

witchhunt. Mr Farage has had a taste of success before and he thinks the

best is yet to come. So this evening there are still some

votes to be counted but the political landscape has seen some

significant changes. Jeremy Vine is in the BBC election studio to take

us through some of the figures. We are indeed in the BBC election

studio. I will give you the map as it was before the voting and show

you the colours that the councils are painted. If I change it, 148

councils, and those are the changes that you can see. Labour are strong

in the north, as before. Liberal Democrats holding onto South

Lakeland. Trafford was held by the Conservatives, as was Tamworth. You

have heard that the Conservatives were more robust in some areas

people thought they might lose. Labour, as James Landale was saying,

did well in London, picking up Murton, Croydon, Hammersmith

Fulham. But the story of UKIP is really told in the grey. Where it is

grey is where the council is in no overall control, places like Castle

Point, Southend, the Conservatives could not hang on because UKIP

dislodged them. could not hang on because UKIP

night. If we spread the result across the nation we have projected

national share, the shares that the parties would have got have the

votes been taking place across the country. This is what we come to, if

it did leave the outcome of these local elections.

We will look at the changes on last year. Last year was very good for

UKIP, getting 23%. You will see them come down. They are down 6% on last

year. But let me take you to the projected national share in the

mid-2000s. This is the voyage that the parties have been on. Labour get

punished as they government, in the local election results. Under Gordon

Brown, going all the way down and then recovering. The coalition come

into power and then it is the Conservatives and Lib Dems that get

punished, Labour start to recover and we are left at the end with

Labour very close to the Conservatives. But it is UKIP in the

mix that is holding the two main parties down, and the Liberal

Democrats are still really struggling.

Let's go to Westminster and talk to Nick Robinson. Having seen the

figures, let's put some context around the UKIP performance. You see

the beaming face of Nigel Farage holding a pint and it says, I am the

winner. And yet in a funny sense he has not won. They did not get the

most votes, the most councillors, not even the most council gains.

That was Labour. And they do not run any councils. They are not a party

of power. But today confirmed that they have become a national party,

throughout England at least, with the power to really disrupt national

politics. Not just in European elections, remember we get the

results of those on Sunday night and Monday morning, but in local

elections. The idea of them winning the odd seat at

elections. The idea of them winning longer looks implausible. You talk

about disruption. Let's talk about the impact on the other parties. You

heard the phrase from Nigel Farage about the UKIP fox being in the

Westminster henhouse. And we have seen it already today. Some Tories

demanding that there should be packed, a deal with UKIP. Mr Cameron

says, we are not doing a deal, but it is clear he will come under huge

pressure to prove that his words mean something when he says he has

answers on immigration and reform of Europe and the welfare state. Ed

Miliband says he has held -- heard the discontent and wants to make

sure people realise Labour has the answers to that discontent. But he

is coming under pressure, not least because of discontent within his

party. The Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, and Yvette Cooper, Shadow

Home Secretary, saying that the party should have said more about

those twin subjects, Europe and immigration. These results have

shown that neither of the two big leaders, Miliband or Cameron, can be

confident of winning the next general election. It is quite

unpredictable, almost as if the public have wanted to say not just

none of the above, but if you want our support, you had better dam well

work for it. And Nick's blog on the election is

one of the things you can find on our website, alongside all the

results in your area. The address is bbc.co.uk/vote2014.

A major fire has badly damaged Glasgow School of Art, one of

Scotland's most famous buildings. It's considered the masterpiece of

Charles Rennie Makintosh, Scotland's most influential architect and

designer. Reports say the blaze started when a projector exploded in

a basement room. Our correspondent Lorna Gordon is in Glasgow.

Yes, the cordon is still in place around the Glasgow school of art and

the Fire crews are still working inside the building, which is just

50 metres up the road. This is widely considered to be an

architectural masterpiece. It is absolutely stunning. Every tiny last

detail was bought out by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and today its

studios would have been full of students, some preparing for the

degree show. Their work is likely to have been destroyed as well as much

of the building as the fire took hold.

And iconic Scottish building up in flames. Smoke billowing through the

blackened windows as fire spread from the basement to the attic. This

is a school famous for its architecture and the artists it has

produced. It was full of students when the blaze broke out. It is

thought all were led to safety but many stayed close, watching as the

fire quickly spread. The alarm went off and we were evacuated and it was

thick black smoke everywhere. How are you feeling? Terrified. For more

than 100 years, this has been a Glasgow landmark. A Charles Rennie

Mackintosh masterpiece full of windows and light, wooden panelling

and wooden furniture. So many artists have passed through its

doors. It is unique and, many fear, irreplaceable. Charles Rennie

Mackintosh was an artist himself. He designed an art school that is still

a fantastical school 100 years later. You just have to see the

level of students that go through the school and Charles Rennie

Mackintosh is an attraction. In the recent Turner prize, three of the

students were from the School of Art. Fire crews from across the

country have spent the afternoon trying to douse the flames. They

can't confirm what caused the fire but it is feared the Charles Rennie

Mackintosh building, famed for its art deco beauty and full of artistic

treasures, may now be damaged beyond repair.

The time is 6:17pm. Our main story: Nigel Farage and UKIP celebrate big

gains in the Duke -- local elections in England.

And still to come: Why the remains of Richard III will stay in

Leicester. Later on BBC London, we'll bring you

all the results from in and around the capital and analyse why UKIP did

well in Essex and poorly in London. And a last-ditch attempt by the

mayor for Boris Island, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a

new airport. The Coalition Government is

proposing new rules on rights to access land, to try to speed up the

introduction of fracking for oil and gas. It comes as a new report by the

British Geological Survey estimates there are 4.4 billion barrels of oil

in shale rock in southern England. Scientists identified the oil in the

Weald Basin, which covers parts of Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and Kent.

Our industry correspondent John Moylan has been talking to people in

the village of Fernhurst. It is a region famed for its

unspoiled natural beauty. Who would have thought that beneath all of

this there are billions of barrels of oil? And in places like Fern

Hurst in Sussex, the fracking industry wants to start drilling.

There will be a 145 foot oil rig. Marcus Adams wants to use

trespassing law to prevent a well being drilled under his own but

today the Government signalled that firms will be given the right of

way. It makes me really cross. They are ignoring people like myself who

have genuine concerns about this industry and what it can do to the

environment and our health. And to ignore those concerns and

disenfranchise us, I think is a huge mistake for this government. What is

happening here in Fernhurst could be about to be played out right across

Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent, because despite appearances it looks

like the South of England is oil country. And in America, they know

how to get shale oil out. Fracking will soon see oil reduction in the

US surpass that of Saudi Arabia - so could always be coming to Britain?

Experts aren't sure. The shales in the Weald Basin contain less organic

carbon so they are likely to contain less oil and they have more fine

grey material, which means it will be more difficult to frack, so it

will be more difficult to get the oil out. But oil is why there was

drilling and weeks of protests in Sussex last year. But despite the

opposition, the Government insists it is going all out for shale. We

now have a better estimate of how much oil is down there and it would

be wrong, in the interests of national energies acuity, to ignore

the potential for extracting more home-grown energy here rather than

importing oil from unreliable parts of the world. 4 billion barrels may

not be a game changer for Britain but it is likely to be enough to

lead tomorrow this across the southern English landscape in the

years ahead. -- two more of this. Serious failures in Birmingham City

Council's children's services are still leaving young people at risk,

according to a report by Ofsted. It found that over a period of three

months, the cases of 145 children were closed due to a lack of social

workers - a finding disputed by the council. But it did state that the

most serious cases, involving children at extreme risk, were dealt

with quickly. Our UK affairs correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti has

more details. A grim roll call of child victims

are let down by those who should have cared for them, and failed by

Birmingham City Council, whose safeguarding systems work rounded

inadequate, rating it has had since 2008. Today's report by the watchdog

Ofsted says there is an insufficient focus on children who need help and

protection. The council itself agrees and says it is trying to do

better. The Ofsted report confirms what we were already clear about. We

are an inadequate council in terms of safeguarding and have been for

far too long. Nothing has been presented to us that we were not

already aware of and when they came to see us, we raised some of the

issues with them ourselves. The report on the inspection of

Birmingham children's services makes disturbing reading. Children were

sometimes left at risk of significant harm for too long. 400

cases of children in need word not assessed all the children were not

seen. And progress through the system was too slow, with little or

no impact. One third of Birmingham's children live in

poverty, significantly higher than the rest of England, so the social

challenges are clear. But the city council, the largest in Europe, has

struggled for years to prove that it can provide adequate protection for

children at risk and something it is empty too big. In the long run,

something radical will have to be done. It may involve the break-up of

Birmingham, the setting up of a new institution, a social enterprise or

something, to run children's care in Birmingham. It may involve none of

those. But officials here are toughing out the criticism and say

they need three years to turn things around, to put to an end a

depressing record of failing the city's children.

At the inquests into the Hillsborough disaster, jurors have

been taken to the football stadium where the tragedy took place in

April 1989. They were guided by the coroner, who showed them key

locations at the stadium in Sheffield where 96 Liverpool fans

died. They were also taken to the site of the former gymnasium, which

was used as a morgue on the day of the tragedy.

The search for the four British sailors missing for the past week in

the Atlantic will be suspended by the US Coast Guard if nothing is

found by tonight. The missing men's families said while they were

saddened by the news, they still hoped the sailors would soon be

found. An RAF Hercules plane will continue searching tomorrow. Our

correspondent Duncan Kennedy reports.

The last known photograph of the missing men. Released today, it was

taken just a few hours before they set sail one week ago. They were

heading to Southampton on the Cheeki Rafiki but never made it. Today, the

families were officially told the American search operation - once so

hopeful - would end tonight. We know they can't search for ever and we

know they can't survive for ever out there on the ocean. But we haven't

given up hope yet. Andrew Bridge, James Male, Paul Goslin and Steve

Warren were all highly experienced. But veteran sailors say a new

reality is now looming. I hope somehow we'll stumble on them. I

still hope we will. But I honestly say, I cannot blame the US Coast

Guard for saying, " that's it, guys we've done all we can". These BBC

pictures show the calm conditions in the search area yesterday. This

afternoon, we called one of the private yachts still on site. This

new satellite map shows the position of the Gertha Four but its skipper

says the mood of optimism is now fading. There's a feeling of

wretchedness, if I'm honest. We've tried and it hasn't helped. At least

we tried. An RAF plane tried and it hasn't helped. At least

again tomorrow but these are the countdown hours for the families of

the missing men. countdown hours for the families of

Duncan Kennedy, BBC News, Southampton.

The remains of King Richard III should be given a dignified reburial

in Leicester, according to judges at the High Court. His bones were found

under a council car park in the city in 2012 - but some distant relatives

had argued that the man known as Richard of York should be buried in

York Minster. Our correspondent Sian Lloyd reports from Leicester.

If you haven't heard, the result is that the judgement has gone

Leicester's way. It was the news that the team in Leicester had been

hoping for. They'd found a king but risked losing him again when a group

of Richard III's distant relatives, called the Plantagenet Alliance,

argued they should have a say on where the remains should be buried.

But today, three High Court judges dismissed their claim. We've been

biting our nails for 15 months on this one. The drama has been

heightened, the tension has been raised and the joy and relief is...

Well, what you would expect after waiting this long. This was the

moment archaeologists found the remains of the last Plantagenet

king, beneath a car park in Leicester. They intended to rebury

him at the Cathedral nearby - but a costly legal challenge put those

plans on hold. Those who sought to return King Richard to York were

disappointed by today's outcome. I'm just really pleased it went to court

in the first place. And, again, Richard is Richard of York. His

heart and soul lies in York, even though his body's still in

Leicester. But here in Leicester, they're already looking forward to

the reinterment next spring. Work will now begin to transform the

interior of this cathedral, to create a resting place befitting the

former king. Sian Lloyd, BBC News, Leicester.

Time for a look at the weather with Peter.

Bank holiday weekend coming up. Not overly reliable weather. We will

definitely see some showers, possibly on the heavy Scheidt. Now

and again, the sun will break through and where it does, it will

feel reasonably warm but you might need to keep your plans flexible.

Showers around through this evening and tonight, one area moving out of

England and Wales towards Northern Ireland, southern Scotland. Later in

the night, another batch comes in from the near continent, so a fairly

unsettled night with a fair bit of cloud. Temperatures generally double

figures but Northern Scotland is the chilly spot, down to six or seven.

The start of the weekend brings quite a bit of rain for many parts

of England and Wales, slowly creeping northwards. It takes awhile

to into Cumbria but for Scotland and Northern Ireland, a largely bright

day with a few showers coming through. Winds a bit lighter than

the last couple of days so not quite so chilly. When you move down into

the area of rain, some will be quite heavy. When you get a shower, the

temperatures will drop away but when the sun comes out, they will pick up

again. Don't take the position of the heavy showers to literally this

far out but it gives you the idea of the general areas that will get

downpours through the day but some dry spells as well stop by Sunday,

showers per string northwards and eastwards, leaving much of England

with a dry spell. Looking ahead into bank holiday Monday, a selection of

cities shows a similar theme. Sunny spells and scattered showers with

temperatures mostly into the mid-or possibly high teens. In sunny spots

in the south, as high as 20 or 21. You are going to have to pick your

time to go out over the weekend.