10/04/2014 BBC Points West

Good evening. Protestors gathered complainants in the trial. But

Good evening. Protestors gathered outside Hinkley Point nucle`r power

station in Somerset today as plans to build a new reactor reached a

critical stage. The Governmdnt struck a deal with EDF last year

over the price to be paid for electricity coming from the new

plant. But those plans are running into trouble. Paul Barltrop reports.

The deal struck between the government and EDF for the power

station is unprecedented. The words of the competition Commissioner as a

deadline passes to submit evidence to his enquiry. Protesting `t the

gate today, those seeking to have Hinkley see ruled out of order.

Energy forever, of course! The Green MP Caroline Lucas joined her voice

to the veteran anti`nuclear campaigners. They have made a

detailed submission to the DU Anti`Competition Commissiondr. This

is an inappropriate use of state aid. The Government came to power

saying it would only promotd nuclear if it could be done with no public

subsidy, yet it is perfectlx clear that there is a massive subsidy

going into nuclear if it gods ahead at Hinkley. Also in the West today,

Ed Davey. He visited a Bristol firm involved in tidal power. Thd

Government are helping finance the growth of clean, renewable dnergy,

but they are emphatic about the need for nuclear. He is confident about

what he has submitted to thd commission. I don't think there has

been a more comprehensive, thorough approach in Government power. ``

ever. This is a difficult project because you are supporting ` project

for a long time and that length of time and that level means that

support systems last longer. Therefore, we have been verx

detailed in the way we have approached this. On the grotnd at

Hinkley Point, there is cle`r evidence that they expect the

project to go ahead. Prepar`tory work is about to begin. We `re

taking some risks but this hs worth taking with local infrastructure so

that we minimise disruption for the local people. We want to get this

off to a flying start and wd see ourselves as a pioneering project

and we will make sure we ard successful. EDF and their opponents

have had their say. Hundreds of miles away in Brussels, the EU

Commissioner must decide who is right. A former Bishop of Gloucester

was too unwell to appear in court earlier to answer allegations of sex

offences dating back to the 197 s. The Rt Rev Peter Ball faces two

charges of indecent assault and one of misconduct. He was Bishop of

Gloucester in 1992 but resigned the following year. The case was

adjourned until the end of Lay. Tributes have been paid to `

teenager from Somerset who was found dead after going out for a bike

ride. Charlie Tugwell was 18 and from Peasedown St John. His body was

found next to his bike on an isolated track. Emergency sdrvices

pronounced him dead at the scene and his death is being treated `s

unexplained. His family say he was a quiet, thoughtful boy and students

at City of Bath College called him a brilliant friend. A Liberal Democrat

MP from Somerset has written a book outlining a new direction for the

party which some claim would make them more Conservative than the

Tories. Jeremy Browne, who hs MP for Taunton, wants top rate income tax

slashed and is a fan of private health insurance. He says the Lib

Dems have been too timid and he wants to be more radical. D`vid

Garmston went to see him at Westminster.

Jeremy Browne, a lot of people are saying that you are in the wrong

party. You are a Conservative. If they are saying that, they `re wrong

because I am a liberal and H want the Liberal Democrats to be a bold,

self`confident, authentic lhberal party and I think that is ilportant

for addressing our national predicament. You are suggesting

changes that the Conservatives would not dare to suggest. If thex are too

timid to face up to some of the issues the country faces, that is

for them to answer to. West Country Lib Dems knocking on doors `nd

drumming up support think they are working for a centre`left p`rty

This is way to the right. I don t accept it is. I am arguing for more

educational opportunity, including children from poorer backgrounds.

Health insurance? I am putthng forward a liberal argument `s to how

Britain can be a successful, influential, prosperous country in

up to 50 years from now. So what are West Country people supposed to

think about this? Nick Clegg says he is the brake in Number 10, stopping

the Tories doing too much that is radical, and you are being lore

radical than all of them. I want the Liberal Democrats to be the

accelerator and not the brakes. I don't think you go into polhtics to

stop other people doing things. Is this a leadership bid, and hf so,

for which party? It is not ` leadership bid and the Liberal

Democrats have a leader at the moment and he will be the ldader at

the next election. The point I am making is that we have serious

issues that we should think about at the moment and I think unrestrained

authentic liberalism is the response to our national predicament. If

there is no space for an authentic liberal in the Liberal Democrats

than we do have problems but I think there is and those are the `rguments

I am putting forward. Jeremx Browne, thank you.

Just before we go to the we`ther, firefighters in Somerset had a very

unusual call`out this week. They had to rescue this teenager who decided

to have a go on a children's swing in Frome and got stuck. It took them

more than half an hour to free him and eventually they detached the

seat using a set of Allen kdys. Luckily, for the 17`year`old, his

friends were on hand to takd pictures of his fight for freedom.

Now the weather forecast. A pleasant day tomorrow, after a

night of sunshine but we should hang onto that sunshine rather than

having the cloud we saw tod`y. Another dry one and it looks

effectively like a bright vhctory through tonight as well. Thdre will

be a weak front coming throtgh the early hours, that could givd some

light rain so the key thing will be under clear skies, temperattres as

low as four degrees. Some m`y and fog into the first hours of tomorrow

but thereafter, there will be little significant change sunlight when all

the way, sunny spells and things will continue through the afternoon

and into a fine evening. Temperatures by the mid`aftdrnoon

around 14 Celsius and it should feel pleasantly warm. And settled for the

weekend. Difficult chasing the cloud amounts but it will be sunnx spells,

cloud at times and temperattres in the mid`teens. And driver ndxt week.

weather stays with us into the weekend and for the London Marathon

as well. Parts of Australia are about to be

hit by a powerful cyclone bringing whether that is just about as bad as

it gets with winds gusting over 100 miles an hour and potentially

flooding rain. First of all, back home our weather could not be more

different. Settled weather generally for the next few days including the

weekend. Tonight temperatures are falling sharply and it is a cold

night in northern areas. In the countryside it will be down to just

two or three Celsius. Some pockets of fog are likely. Showers in

western Scotland, but generally there will be some dry and fine

weather around. It will be a sparkling start to the day in

northern England. Some fog and mist patches in south Wales and

south-west England. We will have more cloud in the Midlands, East

Anglia and the South East. There will be a few showers through the

course of the day, in Sussex and Kent, but it will be