27/05/2014 BBC Points West

?730,000 Good evening. The fallout channel. Now it's time

?730,000 Good evening. The fallout from the Liberal Democrats' drubbing

in the European election continues. Today a former leader of thdir party

on Bristol City Council joined calls for Nick Clegg to go. But other

senior figures insist a leadership contest would be self`destrtctive.

Here's our political editor, Paul Barltrop.

The West's Lib Dems have tasted defeat in recent years, but not like

this. Joining calls for a change of leader is a senior Bristol Lib Dem.

We have had ups and downs and you always do in politics, but H just

feel that for the first timd in a long time, the leadership of the

party is not listening to what those of us at the grassroots are telling

them. And what's worse is that they are not listening to what the voters

are telling them either. Thd party regards the West Country as a

stronghold. But European eldction voters paid no heed. The best area

was Somerset but they still only got 15% of the votes. In Bristol and

Wiltshire, it was 10%. Whild in parts of Gloucestershire, stpport

was in single figures. 6.5% in Stroud, just 5% in the Forest of

Dean. It is not unprecedentdd. In the Euro election of 1989, the Lib

Dems did slightly worse. Thd leader then has today appealed for calm. I

think it is an extremely silly idea to go into a completely unndcessary,

bound to be divisive, leadership campaign at the very moment when the

things we have been doing in Government are beginning to be

proved to be right. The placards have been put away but they will be

needed again soon. The general election is just 11 months off.

Joining me now is Stephen Whlliams, who is the Liberal Democrat MP for

Bristol West. Thank you for coming in. What you do now? Is it time to

change your message or the messenger? I do not think wd need to

change the messenger. He should remain as a leader. All of ts need

to sharpen the message. I fhnd that while meeting my constituents and

Bristol West Junior last cotple of months, people wanted to he`r what

we did in Government but no`one knew until I told them. I cannot talk to

everybody, but we have a duty to get out there and tell people what we

do. You support Mr Clegg? Yds, but we have to work hard. It has been a

rather toxic affair for you, but European elections will store can

you pull it back? I would not have chosen the circumstances in which we

made it into Government. People get used to parties who are enelies over

a long period of time and it is incredibly difficult. That hs why I

and my colleagues into what Harvard to tell people what we have

achieved. You can work as h`rd as you want, but the fact that the

matter is this is a Lib Dem heartland and surely looks pretty

grim for you. The electoratd have given us a stark warning th`t they

want us to explain to them why it was necessary for us to go hnto

College in, what we have achieved as Liberal Democrats on tax, ftnding

for schools and other issues. And what we stopped the Conserv`tives

doing as well. If we can get those messages across, we have a good

chance in retaining our seats next year. Will you still be a job year?

I think I will but it is up to my constituents in Bristol West to

decide if I have done a good job for them and also of my party h`s done a

good job for the country. Protestors who tried to stop the

badger cull are questioning the impartiality of the police tonight

after it emerged that the companies that were paid to do the shootings

gave orders to officers on the ground. Representatives frol the

companies and farmers were hnvited into the control room at Avon and

Somerset Police headquarters. Will Glennon reports.

In last year's badger cull, whose side were the police on? Chris

Tasker says, not his. He was guarding a badger sett one night

when he says two cull emploxees assaulted him. When he calldd

police, they instead questioned him about the whereabouts of a dead

badger. When the police turned up, they were entirely unconcerned with

the fact that I had been allegedly assaulted. Their sole purpose seemed

to be to find this badger, `nd treated me immediately as the

suspect. When Chris complained, an internal investigation found that

out of six people in the police control room that night, two worked

for the cull company and ond was from the National Farmers' Tnion.

Anti`cull groups say the police were a private force for the cull

companies. Police were stopping us very frequently. When those stops

were taking place and we were being asked for our details, it w`s going

through a control room wherd guys from the cull company were listening

in to it all. That is a real concern. That is a serious breach of

data protection. The investhgation said in future there should be clear

divisions between police and cull contractors. It upheld five out of

seven complaints against Avon and Somerset Police. Perhaps more

importantly, the report concluded there should be clear divishon

between the activities of the coal contractors and those of thd police.

The National Farmers' Union claims none of its members directed police

action. The police say the lain objective is protecting the public's

safety. Our role was about facilitating both sides of the

arguement. We decided we wotld have a representative from the NFU in the

control room so that we werd able to get real`time information about what

was happening on the ground, so that we were in the best position to keep

all parties safe. Avon and Somerset Police spent over ?730,000 over the

nine weeks of the badger cull. And despite an independent assessment

declaring it ineffective and inhumane, it will take placd in both

Somerset and Gloucestershird again this year.

That's almost all from us. Before I go, a reminder that Bristol's newest

hospital officially opens tomorrow. BBC Radio Bristol's Steve Ld Fevre

will be coming live from Sotthmead Hospital from 6.30am. He'll be

speaking to patients, staff and the chief executive.

Now, here's a look at the wdather with Jemma.

In true half term fashion, the best of the sunshine will reach ts just

in time for the weekend. Thd rest of this week is broadly similar to the

weather we have had today. Plenty of cloud around uncertainly showers

overnight and into tomorrow. A couple of those on Thursday, some

bright spells, but few and far between. Where we have sunshine it

will pack a punch. Cloudy tonight with showers but not too chhlly

Cloudy and Italy tomorrow morning. As they go through the day, this

cloud will be in a couple of places. The cloud and showers domin`ting,

but those highs should keep up to 17 Celsius. Tomorrow evening and night

time, broadly similar. Plenty of cloud and showers making thdir

presence felt. The low`pressure bringing the showers moves so force.

It is the cloud and showers that dominate. Sunshine at the wdekend.

Thursday and then it becomes drier with sunshine by the weekend.

If you've been sat at home with miserable Mayweather today wondering

why on earth we didn't go abroad for half term week, we are just going to

add insult to injury because people have been basking in some sunshine

across southern Spain. Fairly overcast skies in Paris but

nevertheless, still 17 degrees. Across eastern England it was cold,

13 degrees with persistent rain Better across the north-west

Highlands. The reason for the cloud and rain was this frontal system,

rather breezy as well. The rain continues through the night, some a

bit