03/05/2013 BBC News at One

UKIP hails a remarkable night after significant gains in the local

council elections. Nigel Farage claims a sea change in British

politics as his party marks its strongest ever electoral

performance. Send in the clowns, we have been abused by everybody, the

entire establishment, and now they're shocked and stunned that we

are getting over 25% of the vote everywhere we stand across the

country. This is a real sea change in British politics.

Labour have been making gains, but both coalition parties have lost

seats. The Conservatives say they'll listen to voters. It's

clearly not been a great night for any of the main parties, but I do

think that we absolutely get the message.

We will be live in Westminster to assess what the results mean for

the political landscape. Also: The April Jones murder trial, the man

accused of her murder cries in court as her father describes how

he searched for his missing daughter.

Three Afghan interpreters who worked for British forces go to the

High Court demanding the right to settle in the UK.

70 years on, the salvage operation to raise a World War II bomber shot

down during The Battle of Britain. On BBC London: Former chairman of

the London Assembly pleads guilty to assault after a row over parking.

With some results still to come, the Conservatives hold on to Essex

County Council, despite a push from Good afternoon. Welcome to the BBC

News at One. The UKIP leader called it a real sea change in British

politics after his party achieved its best ever set of election

results. Counts are still taking place in many councils but so far

the UKIP party has won around a quarter of the votes in the seats

it contested, gaining more than 40 seats, mainly at the expense of the

Conservatives. It also finished second in the South Shields by-

election, which was won by Labour. Contests are taking place in 34

English councils, as well as in Anglesey in Wales. Here are the

results so far. Of the 34 councils in England that

held elections yesterday, ten have declared.

The Conservatives so far have lost 100 seats. The Liberal Democrats

are down by 18. Labour have made 64 gains. As our local Government

correspondent Mike Sergeant reports, it's the success of UKIP with their

42 seats that has been making waves. This report contains flash

photography. Some may have called them clowns,

but in the Counties of England UKIP are celebrating today. The party

still doesn't have any Westminster MPs, or control any large

authorities, for the first time, though, it does have a significant

number of new councillors. Leader Nigel Farage accepts winning seats

at the general election will be much harder, but today he was

relishing the fact that other parties now have to take UKIP a lot

more seriously. Send in the clowns. We have been abused by everybody,

the entire establishment, and now they're shocked and stunned that we

are getting over 25% of the vote everywhere we stand across the

country. This is a real sea change in British politics.

UKIP picked up support across large areas of England, from

Gloucestershire to Hampshire, Essex and Lincolnshire. Still winning

just a fraction of the seats on offer, but gaining a new foothold

in local Government. Certainly UKIP have in these elections on this

night clearly broken the tradition of English local Government. It is

a performance that we would not ever have expected UKIP or any

other minor party to have achieved in the past.

But the night began with a gain for Labour as the party won the north

Tyneside mayoral election. There's been progress in the County

elections, too, for Ed Miliband's party, with a win in Derbyshire.

These were a very difficult set of County Council election results for

us four years ago but we are making progress and gaining seats,

including in the south. Those, of course, are going to be the real

battlegrounds, come the next general election. We have a lot of

results yet to declare. As predicted, the by-election for

the Westminster seat of South Shields went comfortably to Labour

but again the talking point was UKIP, grabbing second in the poll.

The Liberal Democrats were pushed down to 7th, a much poorer result

than at the general election. difference is that last time when

we had an election we were not in the Government. This time we are in

the Government. Government parties, you know perfectly well, get

hammered generally in by-elections. The Conservatives held on to many

important councils, but accepts their vote was was squeezed across

the country. We absolutely get the message. We know people want to see

the economy fixed, they want to see a welfare capped, help for hard-

working people. We are starting to make progress on those areas, the

deficit down by a third and immigration cut by a third. There's

much more to do. I think that's what these results are all about.

As the results come in a more detailed picture is emerging and

opinions being formed about how much political influence this man

really has. As we heard, one of the places

where UKIP performed well was in Lincolnshire where they gained 16

seats. Three of them were won by members of the same family. Our

correspondent Danny Savage is in Boston.

The UKIP flags are flying here. You are right, they did very well here

from having no councillors in Lincolnshire County Council to 16

overnight. They believe if they have that sort in this part of the

country come a general election, it would give them a member of

parliament for UKIP in this part of Lincolnshire. You did mention there

was one family that fielded five candidates, three of them were

elected, two of them came second in their ballots. They're from the

Ransome family and I have been speaking to the mum, she was

elected last night and told me why they believed so many people had

voted for UKIP here. I think that mainly it's the immigration

problems, because we have just been swamped with people. I don't think

it's a racist thing in any shape or form. Also, I think that people

thought it's time to get somebody in there different who will do

things, get rid of the potholes, all those sort of things that

bother people on a daily basis. They're emphasising this isn't just

about a one-policy party. The 2011 census found this part of the

country has the largest amount of non-British EU passport holders in

the country. Immigration is a big deal here. I have been speaking to

Bostonians on the streets of the town today about why they think

UKIP has done so well. It's clear people have got fed up with the

lack of jobs and stuff here, due to foreigners coming in, migrant

workers and that. I am not racist, I can't blame people coming here if

they can better their lives, but I think there's too many in the town.

There's no work for anybody, no housing. Benefits is changing.

and again people have said to me they're not racist, but they say

when it comes to large nonBritish EU population the EU needs to pay

more money to help with different issues that's that's caused.

We have Jeremy Vine to crunch some of the numbers to gauge how

successful it's been for UKIP. Thank you. Early days still because

voting is being counted today. If I show you the floor of the studio

this is how we started. This is the result in 2009, the 27

County Councils and the unitary authorities. You see the amount of

blue, this is very Conservative areas. Where it's grey it mean no,

sir overall control. If we have a look at the changes, the flashes

there are where councils have changed hands. In the main, we

heard there from Lincolnshire, going from Conservative to no

overall control. Conservatives losing their foothold in some of

their councils. What about the share of the vote

for the parties? So far, we analyse key wards. This is what we have got.

We have the Conservatives in first place, bear in mind these are very

Conservative councils, lots of them. 36%.

Second place, everyone is talking about this figure, 21% for UKIP. In

third, Labour on 20%. They are seeking more of a surge at this

stage of the parliament. Lib Dems on 13%. Greens 4%. 6% or others.

The story everyone keeps coming back to is 21% there, UKIP. It's

more dramatic if I show you the change on 2009. Last time these

council seats were fought was a bad year for Labour. What's happened to

the votes of the parties since that year? Four years on, here we are.

Let's look at change. How the parties' positions have

changed since 2009. It's very, very apparent. Plus 17% for UKIP. You

also see the Conservatives are hurting, down 9%. As are their

coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, down 11%. That may save

some Conservative councillors if they're challenged by a Liberal

Democrat who who -- whose challenge is weakening and vice versa. It's

also the Labour figure of plus 8% we are focusing on here. Under Ed

Miliband there's definitely been a comeback for Labour from the low

days of Gordon Brown. But some saying the 8% isn't quite enough to

make Labour certain of victory at the next general election.

Let's talk to our political correspondent Norman Smith in

Westminster. Nigel Farage describing it as a sea

change in British politics. Is it? Well, it's not a sea change in the

sense that UKIP have not stormed to victory and taken control of loads

of councils, indeed they've not taken control of a single council.

But what they've effectively and significantly done is piled up

votes in different parts of the country, in different geographical

areas, in different political constituencies, roughly one in four

voters opting for UKIP. Now what is not clear is whether this is simply

protest politics, people fed up with austerity and the

establishment parties, fed up with business as usual, or whether the

ground is actually beginning to break up and it's too early to say.

What I think is significant is that Nigel Farage himself this morning

cited the example of the old SDP, the social Democratic Party. They

never broke the mould of British politics, never got a swathe of MPs

at Westminster. They forced main parties to recalibrate their

politics. It may be that that is the sea change which UKIP effect.

The main parties and particularly the coalition parties are going to

have to respond in some way, the question is how? They will all have

to respond because UKIP is taking votes from all of them.

Predominantly from the Conservatives and there is a

conundrum for David Cameron. Some are saying go right, toughen up

stance on immigration, forget about increasing overseas aid and to

legislate for a European referendum in this parliament. The difficulty

for Mr Cameron is his distinctive brand appeal at the last election

was that he was a different sort of Conservative, so for David Cameron

UKIP pose him with a real conundrum. Thank you.

There will be live coverage on the BBC News channel with Huw Edwards

throughout the afternoon as those counts continue. Later in the

programme we will be speaking to our political editor Nick Robinson

for analysis so far. The man accused of the murder of

April Jones looked tearful in court as a written statement from the

five-year-old's father was read to the jury. Paul Jones said, I cannot

think of any reason why Mark Bridger would take April and hurt

her, he is a father, too. He also described pacing up and down

looking for his missing daughter, we can go to Mold Crown Court now.

CCTV footage has been played to the court also. Yes, in the last few

minutes the jury have been listening to the statements from

April Jones' parents and learned of the deep sense of panic that fell

upon them when they were told that their young daughter had gone

missing on October 1st last year. Coral Jones' statement was emotive.

It described how it had been a normal day, April going to school,

going swimming and how in their family home she had been asked by

her five-year-old if she could go out and play. Both Coral and Paul

Jones initially said no to their daughter. But eventually relented.

Coral Jones said April came in, zipped up her coat, told her not to

be long and that was the last time I ever saw her. We also heard a

statement from her father saying how April had been playful and

wanted to go out and that he simply couldn't understand how Mark

Bridger it's alleged would do something like this, him himself

being a father. At that stage Mark Bridger was tearful in the dock. We

have also heard evidence regarding one of April's half-sisters. And

how in the time before the alleged abduction Mark Bridger had

approached April's half-sister on Facebook, wanting to be her friend.

She had responded saying, no, I don't know you. Several attempts

were made to befriend her but she said no, I don't want to be your

friend. Earlier we saw CCTV images that show Mark Bridger moving

around Machynlleth before and after the time of April went missing. He

denies the three charges against him of abduction, murder and

perverting the course of justice by destroying April's body. Thank you

very much. The chairman of the Royal Bank of

Scotland, which is 82% owned by the taxpayer, says the Government

should be able to start the process of selling off its stake next year.

The bank has reported a pre-tax profit of �826 million for the

first three months of the year, its highest for 18 months. Here is our

chief economics correspondent, Hugh Pym.

�45 billion of taxpayers' money went into bailing out RBS, how do

we get that back? Latest results showed a profit. In the boardroom

there is planning for a possible sale of the Government shares from

with the Government enabling the Government to sell shares from let's

say the middle of 2014 on. It could be earlier that's a matter for the

Government. Certainly the recovery process will be substantially

complete in about a year or so's time. RBS has been blighted by big

mistakes during the boom years and loans which went badly wrong.

Analysts say the bank is on the road to recovery. A restructuring process

of a bank takes many years. RBS has already been undertaking this for

some time. By next year, we expect to see real results of their

restructuring and their refocussing and a much cleaner focussed bank.

That will be easier for investors to understand. In 2008, the Government

paid an average of just over �5 for each RBS share. They're valued at a

little over �4 in the public sector books. Ministers will want to sell

somewhere between those figures. At around 295 this morning, the shares

still have some way to go vment will be a 40% loss if they

privatised today. In a year's time they may be back above �5. There's

huge uncertainty over where the share price might go, persuading

City investors to buy billions of pounds worth of RBS shares may be a

tall order. Ultimately it will be a big call for George Osborne, selling

at a loss would be politically difficult, but a major privatisation

involving small shareholders ahead of the election must be tempting for

him. It's just after 1. 15: The UK

Independence Party achiefs its best ever set of local election results.

Nigel Farage called it a remarkable night.

And coming up, I'll be reporting from Dorset, where 20 sections of

the south-west coastal path are closed or diverted this weekend due

to land slips. On BBC London: It's a dream come

true. A taste of success, how a partime de-Jay from Hackney went

from music maestro to MasterChef. And we look at the planned �200

million upgrade for the hoax million upgrade for the hoax

It's the only one of its kind in the world and has been lying on the

seabed for 70 years. Today work begins to retrieve a German Dornier

17 bomber shot down over the English Channel during the Battle of

Britain. The four-week salvage operation of the wreckage is just

the start of a two-year restoration project. Nick Higham has been to

meet the team hoping to safeguard this important bit of history.

The summer of 1940, and the Battle of Britain rages over southern

England in. Daily dog fights and bombing raids, the German Air Force

seeks to destroy the RAF in the run up to a planned invasion. The

Dornier 17, known as the flying pencil for its long, thin shape, was

a deadly main stay of the bomber fleets attacking British cities and

airfields. Gerhard Krems was a highly decorated wartime pilot who

flew 250 bombing missions for the Luftwaffe. He's the last man alive

to have flown a Dornier. Transtransit was agile and slanter

and it was elegant. More than 70 years on noted a single Dornier was

thought to survive. Two years ago a survey for the RAF Museum revealed

the wreck of a plane lying on its back on the Goodwin sands. Divers

confirmed it was a Dornier 17 and almost in tact. The plane, it's

thought was shot down in August 1940s, damaged by RAF fighters it

flew out over the channel rapidly losing power and height. The pilot

trying to ditch. When the wing touched the surface the plane spun

turning onto its back in. Due course it sank to the bottom. When we lift

it, it needs to be nose down zbl. To raise the plane the salvage company

has designed a special frame or cradle in which to lift the

aircraft. It will take up to four weeks to build it under water much

the plane is made of aluminium, which corrodes badly in sea water.

One expert warns not to expect too much. In 20, 30 years you will find

nothing from that Dornier, for example, so try it, but you

shouldn't be highly optimistic. Do it, but don't start dreaming too

early. But at Imperial College London they're more optimist being,

working on a fragment of the plane scientists here believe they've come

up with a way to preserve it for the long-term. We have a plan for

cleaning it. We've been looking at some acid washes. Historically

museums have used things like citric and phosphoric acid. We're looking

at similar combinations. Citric acid works very well. Today it's a wreck

on the floor of the English Channel. In two years, if all goes well,

preserved with lemon juice, it will be on display.

Lawyers for three Afghan interPrio terse who worked for British forces

in Afghanistan are beginning legal action to win the right to settle

here. They've asked for a judicial review of the British Government's

decision not to treat them as the same was -- way as translators in

Iraq, who were given the right to settle here after the war.

Mohammed risked his life as an interpreter for British soldiers in

Afghanistan. He fled to the UK after getting Taliban death threats, then

had to fight for asylum. I was receiving intimidation threats. My

family was receiving threats. It came to a point where I had to make

a decision. I had to flee my country, which was not an easy thing

to leave my family behind. Now he's one of three interpreters bringing a

legal case against the British Government for the right of all

Afghan interpreters to resettle here. Britain gave that right to the

Iraqis. Lawyers argue it's discrimination not to offer the

same. We're talking about a finite number of individuals with their

depen dents. We have to realise that they are now in danger, directly

because of that work, we must provide them with a proper

resettlement package. There are no official figures, but it's believed

at least 20 interpreters working for NATO in Afghanistan have been killed

during the course of their duties over the past few years. The

campaigners are putting more and more pressure on the Government to

act. Many senior former military figures have made their their belief

the UK owes its interpreters a debt of honour. The principle is

established. We did it in Iraq for the same reasons. We did it because

they stood shoulder to shoulder with our troops in the most hazardous of

circumstances. We did it because after we left, their lives were at

risk and those of their families as well. We recognise that in Iraq. Why

can you not in Afghanistan? We think the situation in Afghanistan is

different from the situation in Iraq. What we're now talking about

is putting in place a generous, long-term offer to those people who

are prepared to stay in Afghanistan and make their futures there,

because we think that is the best way both for them and for

Afghanistan, where it is practical. The Government has expected to

announce plans for Afghan interpreters within weeks. After war

in Iraq, around a thousand interpreters successfully applied to

come to the UK. With much of the UK expected to

enjoy that most unexpected phenomenon, sunny weather, over a

bank holiday weekend. There's a warning about risks of walking too

close to the cliffs in the south-west. In the last couple of

months, there have been several land slips across the 630 mile long

south-west coast path. Though the beaches are open, visitors are

advised to exercise due care. Jon Kay is in lull worth for us.

Yes, isn't that a sight for sore eyes, on a beautiful day like this,

ahead of a bank holiday weekend, it's easy to forget that dreadful

weather that we had throughout the winter, that rain and flooding. But

it's still leaving its legacy on the landscape. This path here is open,

but around the south-west and to Devon and Cornwall, 20 sections

closed this bank holiday weekend. It's erosion that has made this

coastline so special, shifting and shaping it over millions of years.

But recent land slips here have brought spectacular and sudden

change. Just this week, one cliff collapsed near Durdle Door. The

South West of England alone there have been more than 30 land slips

this year. Ologists the rain over the winter. -- geologists blame the

rain over the winter. So visitors this weekend will find more than 20

sections of the path closed or diverted. It's the wettest winter

I've known since I have been worked for the ranger service. It's causing

more land slips. We put closures in place to keep the public safe.

must be really busy right now. we are, very busy. Of course, the

dangers aren't just up on the cliff tops, but down on the beaches as

well. Despite the warnings, we have seen holidaymakers well within the

hazardous areas. The crucial summer season begin that's weekend and

businesses which rely on tourism hope the land slips won't put

visitors off. The message is that we're open, please come, and make

sure that you use the diversions which are in place to keep you safe.

So, school trips are having to keep their distance. Geography lessons

suddenly brought into sharp focus. Dorset County Council says this has

been the biggest land slip in over a decade, the biggest many people here

can remember, even on a sunny day, that wet winter is still live living

-- leaving its mark. These are the signs frantically being put up by

Rangers in different parts of the coastline today. The irony is that

rather than worrying about keeping people away, these land slips are

actually attracting some tourists. We've met people here who have come

down here deliberately to see them. Let's get more on the local election

results and the picture emerging so far is that the UK Independence

Party has received its best ever results. Nigel Farage halls said his

party has sent a shock wave to the establishment. Let's get some

analysis with our political editor Nick Robinson. A remarkable night

for UKIP. Nigel Farage saying it is a sea change in British politics.

could be the beginning of a sea change in British politics. It isn't

yet. There's no doubt these are extraordinary results for UKIP, for

example, to fight a by-election to come second with around a quarter of

the vote, in an area of the north-east in which they had no

organisation, no previous candidate, no real history at all is

remarkable. To repeat that roughly quarter of the vote in councils

throughout England and to gain councils is impressive. Why not a

sea change yet? We don't know if this will be followed through. It is

very likely, to be repeated in a year's time at European elections.

UKIP in the past has done well at European elections and fallen away

at a general election. The real test will be how much they can sustain

this, how much they can sustain it under scrutiny they've never had

before. One thing is clear, there will be no more references to them

as clowns and loonies. Ken Clarke calls them clowns and a quarter of

England has said- send in the clowns zbl. Much is going to be made now of

the response of the three main parties to these results. Yes, one

response first of all is to be politer about UKIP to say they've

listened. When the Prime Minister speaks this afternoon is likely to

unsay many of the things he's said in the past about UKIP. When they

look at their results, each of the parties is going to find a bit of

comfort and quite a lot of anxiety as well. The Tories are losing

councils. They are losing councillors too. The comfort is the

sense that they don't feel that under pressure from an Opposition

that is about to sweep to power. Labour, of course, is making

important gains and in important parts of the country that. Will make

them feel good. There are certain areas of the country where the vote

is not even as good as Tony Blair did in 2005 after the Iraq war,

reason for real concern there. The Liberal Democrats have lost a lot of

votes on the other hand, they're holding on in areas where they need

to hold on to their members of Parliament. All of us, though, in

truth, in the parties and commentators too are asking the

question we can't know the answer to- is UKIP here to stay or is it a

short-term te nom none? The BBC News website will have live

text and video coverage of the results as they come in. For more

analysis and a full breakdown of results in your area, go to

bbc.co.uk /vote 2013. Bank holiday weekend beckons, is it

Bank holiday weekend beckons, is it pressure in control in southern and

central areas, but low pressure in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It's

a dismall day there, heavy rain as times and yes, the white there is

snow falling mainly over the Grampians and the Highlands. We have

some drier, brighter weather into the far north. That cold air

engaging with the rain producing the heavy snow over the hills. Heavy

rain through the central belt and for Northern Ireland disappointing

temperatures and strong winds. For much of England and Wales, though,

it's a fine prospect for this afternoon. Lots of sunshine around,

particularly for East Anglia and the south-east, where locally you could

see 21 degrees somewhere. For the rest of this evening and overnight,

we see the rain band across the north begin to edge southwards. As

it does so, it will fizzle out. By dawn it will be through central

area. Heavier bursts across North West England and for Wales and into

the south-west. Ahead of it it's still mild though. Behind it, it

turns drier for Scotland and Northern Ireland. But cold too with

a touch of frost in rural spots. The rain bands associated with this

weather front are continuing to spread southwards and east during

Saturday. By around Saturday morning into the afternoon, it will be

across south-eastern England and southern counties. A disappointing

day there, bits and pieces of rain around. It won't brighten through

the day. Behind it It will brighten up. Further rain pushing in for

Scotland and Northern Ireland. Temperatures lower tomorrow

generally across the board, 15 or 16. 11 in the north. For the rest of

the weekend, Sunday and Monday, generally the further north and west

you are, it will be cool and breezy with rain at times. But further

south, mainly dry and where the sunshine comes out, it will be warm

in that strong May sunshine. On Sunday, I think a disappointing

start for most areas. We'll have a lot of cloud around. That sunshine

is breaking through for central areas. It's warm in the south-east

and for bank holiday Monday itself, a better start with more in the way

of sunshine everywhere. Bit of rain across the far north and west where

it remains cool. Those temperatures soaring up for England and Wales.

20, 21, we could see 22 or 23 20, 21, we could see 22 or 23